2021-2 NFL Pro Football (pls, no other sports!)
- Thread starter Lethe200
- Start date
Cast your vote
Bengals vs Titans= Joe Burrows, the heir apparent to Brady, not quite this year= Titans win
Bills vs Chief= unfortunately Bills must retire until next year= Chiefs win
48's vs Packers, the evil Arron Rodgers will prevail= Packers win
Rams and Bucs- Rams will not find another team collapse like they did with Cardinals
Ram's QB Stafford is overdue for the usual periods of confusion he exhibits periodically= Tom wins another game
Bengals vs Titans= Joe Burrows, the heir apparent to Brady, not quite this year= Titans win
Bills vs Chief= unfortunately Bills must retire until next year= Chiefs win
48's vs Packers, the evil Arron Rodgers will prevail= Packers win
Rams and Bucs- Rams will not find another team collapse like they did with Cardinals
Ram's QB Stafford is overdue for the usual periods of confusion he exhibits periodically= Tom wins another game
Kaila
SF VIP
I hadn't seen or heard that! Yes, that should help...... but will it?
Cast your vote
Bengals vs Titans= Joe Burrows, the heir apparent to Brady, not quite this year= Titans win
Bills vs Chief= unfortunately Bills must retire until next year= Chiefs win
48's vs Packers, the evil Arron Rodgers will prevail= Packers win
Rams and Bucs- Rams will not find another team collapse like they did with Cardinals
Ram's QB Stafford is overdue for the usual periods of confusion he exhibits periodically= Tom wins another game
I think you will fare much better with these picks of yours, this week, Jerry!
(Well, how could you do any worse?
)But I actually think your report and analyses are spot on, in that post!
Though, Tenn. has that QB with a history of being inconsistent, on every team (of the many) which he's been on. So, I am not sure about Tenn over the young phenoms, Burrows and Chase.
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Rah-Rah
Member
- Location
- Northeast Maryland
Still sticking with Buffalo to upset over Green Bay in the Super Bowl.
No, I've got another three days before the two Saturday games that's plenty of time to vacilateThat's your prediction and you're sticking with it! Okay!
Kaila
SF VIP
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Rah-Rah
Member
- Location
- Northeast Maryland
I'm sticking with it. The prediction will probably go down the drain after this weekend once Kansas City beats Buffalo, but I am sticking with it.
This will be the real toss-up for the coming week's match ups I think. I hope the Bills win but KC is a tough opponent so ???? I probably won't know the result until I can log on to find out. I haven't been able to find a place that shows the games where I am now so I have to wait until they're over and done with to see results.I'm sticking with it. The prediction will probably go down the drain after this weekend once Kansas City beats Buffalo, but I am sticking with it.
That's a bummer, how about radio. When they blackout the Cowboys, I have no choice but to listen in.
Irwin
Well-known Member
- Location
- Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
I'm going to make some pics. Let's see...
Bengals vs. Titans: Titans are favored, but I'm pulling for Joe Burrow and the Bengals. It will be fun to watch Derrick Henry if he's 100%.
49ers vs. Packers: Packers, that's a given.
Rams vs. Buccaneers: This will be a fun air show to watch. If the Rams can pressure Brady, he'll be in for a long day. I'm taking the Rams.
Bills vs. Chiefs: Hmmm... Both teams are hot right now. I'll take the Bills, though, since I'm from NY.
Bengals vs. Titans: Titans are favored, but I'm pulling for Joe Burrow and the Bengals. It will be fun to watch Derrick Henry if he's 100%.
49ers vs. Packers: Packers, that's a given.
Rams vs. Buccaneers: This will be a fun air show to watch. If the Rams can pressure Brady, he'll be in for a long day. I'm taking the Rams.
Bills vs. Chiefs: Hmmm... Both teams are hot right now. I'll take the Bills, though, since I'm from NY.
Lethe200
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
Nothing like jinxing our best player before our biggest game of the season, LOL:
Deebo Samuel: the walking first down who has broken the idea of NFL positions
This season, the San Francisco 49ers’ opponents have come up against a player who can run the ball with brute strength and catch it with ballet-like grace
London Guardian U.S. 20 Jan 2022
Every once in a while a player comes along who redefines their position.
We’ve seen positionless defensive players, hybrid safety-linebacker types. We’ve seen corners who can play in the slot or happily kick out to the boundary. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the rise of the polar bears, tight ends as adept at mauling fools in the run-game as they are running down the field as their team’s finest receiver.
And yet, as a football collective, we’ve waited for the unicorn: The running back-wide receiver. There have been flashes. The spread revolution gave rise to tweener players, those who could align in the backfield as a running back or wriggle out to the slot (or wider) to catch passes. Getting the ball to your best athletes in space became the doctrine of offensive football.
In the college ranks, the likes of Tavon Austin and Percy Harvin embraced football’s move from a tough, between-the-tackles, thumping sport to one based on the principles of pace and space.
But in the NFL, coaches have always favored specialists over the hybrids. They didn’t need a receiver to line up at running back – they had a world-class running back to do that. They didn’t need a running back to flex out as the outermost receiver, they had all the elite receivers they could handle. These were professionals, masters of their craft; there was no time for split duty.
In Deebo Samuel, the unicorn has finally arrived. Samuel is the San Francisco 49ers’ best running back and the team’s best receiver. He may be the finest running back and the finest receiver in the league, at least in terms of efficiency and explosiveness. If he’s not, he’s as near as makes no difference.
There is a childlike glee to Samuel’s brilliance. To watch him is to see an athlete who is stronger and faster than the 21 other human beings on the field – and those 21 humans are among the strongest and fastest athletes on the planet. Samuel brings intricacy for the nerds and loud highlights for when you just want to see cool athletes doing the coolest things. With the ball in his hands, he’s a leaning, bobbing, weaving, stop-on-a-dime phantom.
The Niners offense now revolves around finding an ever-increasing number of ways to get the ball to Samuel, or leveraging his threat into easy yards for everyone else.
Smart teams have always sought crossover skillsets. During the heyday of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady Patriots, the team would bring in a back whose receiving chops outdid their running skills. They would move that player around to identify mismatches. But that was the player’s value – as a moving chess piece that helped Brady identify coverages more than as an individual runner or receiver. Their flexibility was a big percentage of their overall value. It was about what they did without the ball as much as what they did with it.
With Samuel, it’s about how he damages defenses when the ball winds up in his hands, no matter his starting position.
So far this season, he has played 555 snaps split out as the outermost wide receiver, 222 in the slot, eight as an in-line ‘tight end’, and 93 as a running back. The trend of moving him around on a snap-to-snap basis is relatively new, though. As recently as Week 9, Samuel had played only seven snaps lined up in the backfield all season. Since then, he’s averaged nine snaps in the backfield per game (21% of his snaps). The past two games – the do or die game against the Rams in Week 18 and the playoff matchup with the Cowboys – represent the only times this season he’s taken more snaps as a running back than as a slot receiver, the position from which Kyle Shanahan typically initiates all the fun and games in his offense.
Of course, lining up in a bunch of spots in and of itself is no great skill. It doesn’t matter where you align, or in how many spots, if you stink at most or all of them. And that’s where Samuel breaks the convention: He’s the best at everything he does.
His output is jarring: 1,770 total yards, at an average of 13 yards per touch, with 14 touchdowns tacked on for good measure. He’s a walking first down; a human touchdown.
If you’re into the fancier metrics you’ll know Samuel holds something of a monopoly over all of the league’s key categories, be it as a back or receiver. He led the NFL in the regular season in yards per reception. He’s averaging more than 10 yards after the catch per reception. To put that in context, no other receiver broke the seven-yard barrier during the regular season.
If that’s not enough, Samuel leads the league in yards per route run on targets of 20-yards or more down the field. That’s comfortably ahead of Ja’Marr Chase. It’s streaks ahead of Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, and Tyreek Hill.
The numbers keep coming. Samuel finished second in the league in yards after contact per attempt. He finished second in the league in ‘breakaway’, which measures the percentage of a player’s rushing yards that come on runs of 15-yards or more. You have to go all the way down to [rubs fake glasses, squints a little] 60th on the list to find the next non-running back. There is not another wide receiver in the top 200.
He also happens to lead the league in the Guardian’s own Holy Bleep Is That Possible Should That Be Allowed Is That Even Fair™ metric.
Players of Samuel’s ilk used to be interesting footnotes and quirks. There are players now sprinkled around the league who take snaps in the backfield and outside as a receiver on a semi-consistent basis. Cordarrelle Patterson had a late-career resurgence in Atlanta this season. Curtis Samuel has filled a similar role in Carolina and Washington. Rondale Moore moves all over the shop in Arizona. In Buffalo, the Bills’ Isaiah McKenzie is able to nudge close to Samuel’s output.
Yet Samuel is the only multi-positional weapon assuming the creative pulse of a playoff offense. He is the only one piloting a championship contender, helping to elevate a flawed quarterback – by way of an outstanding offensive line. He is the only one who runs the ball with a battering-ram style then breaks out in ballet when asked to run routes.
It is tempting to paint Samuel as the first of a new kind of positionless player. But to do so would be to understate the absurdity of his season and talent. Samuel hasn’t pushed up against the idea of positional designations but fractured them altogether. There are running backs, there are receivers, there are hybrids, and then there is Deebo Samuel.
(OP note: Deebo's still a kid [relative to us at SF, lol], age 26. Here's hoping he stays healthy, but RBs get banged up a lot. Deebo's small/ltwt compared to many: 5'11" and only 215 lbs.)
Deebo Samuel: the walking first down who has broken the idea of NFL positions
This season, the San Francisco 49ers’ opponents have come up against a player who can run the ball with brute strength and catch it with ballet-like grace
London Guardian U.S. 20 Jan 2022
Every once in a while a player comes along who redefines their position.
We’ve seen positionless defensive players, hybrid safety-linebacker types. We’ve seen corners who can play in the slot or happily kick out to the boundary. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the rise of the polar bears, tight ends as adept at mauling fools in the run-game as they are running down the field as their team’s finest receiver.
And yet, as a football collective, we’ve waited for the unicorn: The running back-wide receiver. There have been flashes. The spread revolution gave rise to tweener players, those who could align in the backfield as a running back or wriggle out to the slot (or wider) to catch passes. Getting the ball to your best athletes in space became the doctrine of offensive football.
In the college ranks, the likes of Tavon Austin and Percy Harvin embraced football’s move from a tough, between-the-tackles, thumping sport to one based on the principles of pace and space.
But in the NFL, coaches have always favored specialists over the hybrids. They didn’t need a receiver to line up at running back – they had a world-class running back to do that. They didn’t need a running back to flex out as the outermost receiver, they had all the elite receivers they could handle. These were professionals, masters of their craft; there was no time for split duty.
In Deebo Samuel, the unicorn has finally arrived. Samuel is the San Francisco 49ers’ best running back and the team’s best receiver. He may be the finest running back and the finest receiver in the league, at least in terms of efficiency and explosiveness. If he’s not, he’s as near as makes no difference.
There is a childlike glee to Samuel’s brilliance. To watch him is to see an athlete who is stronger and faster than the 21 other human beings on the field – and those 21 humans are among the strongest and fastest athletes on the planet. Samuel brings intricacy for the nerds and loud highlights for when you just want to see cool athletes doing the coolest things. With the ball in his hands, he’s a leaning, bobbing, weaving, stop-on-a-dime phantom.
The Niners offense now revolves around finding an ever-increasing number of ways to get the ball to Samuel, or leveraging his threat into easy yards for everyone else.
Smart teams have always sought crossover skillsets. During the heyday of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady Patriots, the team would bring in a back whose receiving chops outdid their running skills. They would move that player around to identify mismatches. But that was the player’s value – as a moving chess piece that helped Brady identify coverages more than as an individual runner or receiver. Their flexibility was a big percentage of their overall value. It was about what they did without the ball as much as what they did with it.
With Samuel, it’s about how he damages defenses when the ball winds up in his hands, no matter his starting position.
So far this season, he has played 555 snaps split out as the outermost wide receiver, 222 in the slot, eight as an in-line ‘tight end’, and 93 as a running back. The trend of moving him around on a snap-to-snap basis is relatively new, though. As recently as Week 9, Samuel had played only seven snaps lined up in the backfield all season. Since then, he’s averaged nine snaps in the backfield per game (21% of his snaps). The past two games – the do or die game against the Rams in Week 18 and the playoff matchup with the Cowboys – represent the only times this season he’s taken more snaps as a running back than as a slot receiver, the position from which Kyle Shanahan typically initiates all the fun and games in his offense.
Of course, lining up in a bunch of spots in and of itself is no great skill. It doesn’t matter where you align, or in how many spots, if you stink at most or all of them. And that’s where Samuel breaks the convention: He’s the best at everything he does.
His output is jarring: 1,770 total yards, at an average of 13 yards per touch, with 14 touchdowns tacked on for good measure. He’s a walking first down; a human touchdown.
If you’re into the fancier metrics you’ll know Samuel holds something of a monopoly over all of the league’s key categories, be it as a back or receiver. He led the NFL in the regular season in yards per reception. He’s averaging more than 10 yards after the catch per reception. To put that in context, no other receiver broke the seven-yard barrier during the regular season.
If that’s not enough, Samuel leads the league in yards per route run on targets of 20-yards or more down the field. That’s comfortably ahead of Ja’Marr Chase. It’s streaks ahead of Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, and Tyreek Hill.
The numbers keep coming. Samuel finished second in the league in yards after contact per attempt. He finished second in the league in ‘breakaway’, which measures the percentage of a player’s rushing yards that come on runs of 15-yards or more. You have to go all the way down to [rubs fake glasses, squints a little] 60th on the list to find the next non-running back. There is not another wide receiver in the top 200.
He also happens to lead the league in the Guardian’s own Holy Bleep Is That Possible Should That Be Allowed Is That Even Fair™ metric.
Players of Samuel’s ilk used to be interesting footnotes and quirks. There are players now sprinkled around the league who take snaps in the backfield and outside as a receiver on a semi-consistent basis. Cordarrelle Patterson had a late-career resurgence in Atlanta this season. Curtis Samuel has filled a similar role in Carolina and Washington. Rondale Moore moves all over the shop in Arizona. In Buffalo, the Bills’ Isaiah McKenzie is able to nudge close to Samuel’s output.
Yet Samuel is the only multi-positional weapon assuming the creative pulse of a playoff offense. He is the only one piloting a championship contender, helping to elevate a flawed quarterback – by way of an outstanding offensive line. He is the only one who runs the ball with a battering-ram style then breaks out in ballet when asked to run routes.
It is tempting to paint Samuel as the first of a new kind of positionless player. But to do so would be to understate the absurdity of his season and talent. Samuel hasn’t pushed up against the idea of positional designations but fractured them altogether. There are running backs, there are receivers, there are hybrids, and then there is Deebo Samuel.
(OP note: Deebo's still a kid [relative to us at SF, lol], age 26. Here's hoping he stays healthy, but RBs get banged up a lot. Deebo's small/ltwt compared to many: 5'11" and only 215 lbs.)
Lethe200
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
Sorry to be so late in posting these, got backed up on stuff. Life happens, LOL:
How Sunday’s Games Affect the NFL Playoff Matchups, Pt 1 of 2
NY Times Jan. 18, 2022
In the early goings of the wild-card rounds, favored teams won out thanks to reliable plays: the Bengals leaned on Joe Burrow-to-Ja’Marr Chase to open up plays for others, the Bills balanced Josh Allen’s throws with just enough running (from backs and Allen himself) to demolish the Patriots, and the Buccaneers ran up a lead behind replacement rushers before being tempted to take to the air.
That was, until Sunday afternoon, when the Cowboys’ takeaway-or-bust defense yielded to the 49ers’ balanced attack and Dallas was forced to rely on careful game management to have a chance to complete a late comeback. Mike McCarthy’s play-calling will haunt Dallas’s off-season.
NFL divisional round 2 schedule
What happened on Saturday:
Bills 47, Patriots 17
Josh Allen and the Bills easily dispatched NE, asserting themselves as Super Bowl contenders. In frigid conditions, Buffalo scored TDs on all seven of its offensive possessions. Allen completed 21 of 25 passes for 308 yds and threw five TDs. He also ran for 66 yds. Allen, who was thrillingly uneven during his first few seasons in the league, now looks more and more like one of the game’s premier QBs and someone that none of the remaining playoff teams will be eager to face.
The Bills’ defense, the top-ranked unit in the NFL, held the Patriots to only 89 rushing yds and intercepted Jones twice. The Bills, the #3 seed, will now travel to KC, the #2 seed. It is a rematch of last season’s conference championship, which KC won convincingly. The teams played in Week 5, when the Bills won, 38-20. Much has changed since then, most notably KC’s defense, which was considered one of the worst units in the league earlier this season.
Bengals 26, Raiders 19
QB Joe Burrow led the Bengals’ high-powered offense on scoring drives in their four possessions in the first half, connecting for TDs with receiver Tyler Boyd and TE C.J. Uzomah as Cincinnati secured its first playoff win in 31 years. The LVegas Raiders made a late-game surge, but a controversial roughing the passer call gave LVegas a chance to score but LB Germaine Pratt intercepted a Derek Carr pass at the 2-yard line to end the threat.
Joe Burrow’s second TD throw of the Cincinnati Bengals’ 26-19 win over the LVegas Raiders was impressive – but it should not have counted. Before Tyler Boyd made the catch, an official accidentally blew the whistle, which caused several Raiders defenders to assume the play had been called dead. Whether Boyd would have made the catch anyway is debatable, but the NFL rules indicate the play should not have stood.
The Bengals now face the Titans. The bye week gave RB Derrick Henry extra time to rest his surgically repaired foot. Henry participated in contact practice this week and the Titans will make a decision this Friday on whether or not he will play against the Bengals.
On Sunday, word came out that head referee Jerome Boger’s officiating crew is not expected to return this postseason. That would be the best for everybody involved.
What happened on Sunday:
Buccaneers 31, Eagles 15
After a sluggish opening defined by miscommunications with Tom Brady and his younger receivers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers easily defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to advance to the divisional round.
The Buccaneers held Philadelphia scoreless until Q4. Self-inflicted mishaps ― errant throws by Jalen Hurts, dropped passes and a muffed punt by Jalen Reagor recovered by TBay ― doomed the Eagles from securing an upset. The Eagles fell into a 17-0 hole early, and their vaunted running game was not equipped to shovel them out. Four players, including QB Jalen Hurts, combined for 95 rushing yds that mostly came in garbage time.
Teams know better than to run against TBay: The Buccaneers saw the fewest rushing attempts of any team this season but still were in the top 10 in tackles for loss, remarkable efficiency for a front seven.
Philadelphia led the league in rushing yds per game, but no team in the 2021 regular season threw the ball less often, and the threat of QB Jalen Hurts or any of the Eagles’ backs was not enough to manufacture alleys against a defense plugged by the gigantic combination of Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh on the interior.
The Eagles’ only strength played to a buzz saw performance by the Buccaneers’ defense. Hurts led all Eagles rushers with 39 yds, and a 34-yard TD in garbage time from Boston Scott inflated what had been a 3.8 yds per carry team average prior. He ended with 22-for-40 while throwing two interceptions. He didn’t record a TD pass until late in the Q4 when the game was essentially decided.
Worse, Philadelphia could not manage to exploit its opponent’s most glaring weakness. Key losses have dogged TBay’s secondary all season. In his second season, Hurts has worked hard to improve his craft as a passer, but some key misses of receivers streaking up and across the seams cost his team opportunities to gain big yardage.
In the second half, Hurts’s indecision gave edge rushers Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka time to flush him out of the pocket and force him to try to squeeze passes up the sideline. Hurts was intercepted twice, one a backbreaking pick before halftime when DeVonta Smith broke open on a double move before safety Mike Edwards undercut a low and late throw.
After the game, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni gave Hurts what sounded like a genuine vote of confidence. “I know we’re all judged on the last game that we played,” he said, “I fully get that, but I felt like Jalen grew throughout the year. And he got better as a passer, he got better reading the defense, getting the ball to the right place.” It sounds like the Eagles are sticking with their young QB for the time being.
While it was impressive to watch a QB in his mid-40s march up and down the field in the postseason, Sunday’s wild-card win didn’t provide any tangible answers as to whether TBay is equipped to defend its throne against the NFL’s better teams, only that the team is wily enough to try.
TBay relied on rushing TDs to open up the field for Tom Brady. The Bucs had previously lost Brady’s two favored passing receivers Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown, so it helped that Philly ranked in the bottom 10 in sacks, tackles for loss and passes broken up. Their soft zone coverage and inability to create much pressure gave Brady a sweatless 29-of-37 performance, including two TDs.
Rob Gronkowski’s TD reception on Sunday was the 107th of his career. Of those 107 TDs, 105 of them were thrown by the same person: Tom Brady. Rob Gronkowski still has some of the best hands in football, but he has lost a step and a half, making Godwin’s injury and Brown’s exit stand out in obvious passing situations. Jonathan Gannon, the Eagles’ DC, brought a few blitzes in the second half and played zone coverage behind it, and TBay’s backup receivers couldn’t find the open windows downfield on which this vertical passing game thrives.
Darius Slay and Steven Nelson couldn’t guard Mike Evans (117 yds, one TD) without help over the top, but the few times Philadelphia ran man coverage, there weren’t many other outlets available for Brady. By then, though, Philadelphia had already been buried.
TBay will host the LA Rams, who routed the Arizona Cardinals Monday night. TBay played the Rams in Week 3 and lost, 34-24.
How Sunday’s Games Affect the NFL Playoff Matchups, Pt 1 of 2
NY Times Jan. 18, 2022
In the early goings of the wild-card rounds, favored teams won out thanks to reliable plays: the Bengals leaned on Joe Burrow-to-Ja’Marr Chase to open up plays for others, the Bills balanced Josh Allen’s throws with just enough running (from backs and Allen himself) to demolish the Patriots, and the Buccaneers ran up a lead behind replacement rushers before being tempted to take to the air.
That was, until Sunday afternoon, when the Cowboys’ takeaway-or-bust defense yielded to the 49ers’ balanced attack and Dallas was forced to rely on careful game management to have a chance to complete a late comeback. Mike McCarthy’s play-calling will haunt Dallas’s off-season.
NFL divisional round 2 schedule
- Cincinnati Bengals v Tennessee Titans. Saturday, 4.30pm ET
- SF 49ers v GBay Packers. Saturday, 8.15pm ET
- LA Rams v TBay Buccaneers. Sunday, 3pm ET
- Buffalo Bills v KC Chiefs. Sunday, 6.30pm ET
What happened on Saturday:
Bills 47, Patriots 17
Josh Allen and the Bills easily dispatched NE, asserting themselves as Super Bowl contenders. In frigid conditions, Buffalo scored TDs on all seven of its offensive possessions. Allen completed 21 of 25 passes for 308 yds and threw five TDs. He also ran for 66 yds. Allen, who was thrillingly uneven during his first few seasons in the league, now looks more and more like one of the game’s premier QBs and someone that none of the remaining playoff teams will be eager to face.
The Bills’ defense, the top-ranked unit in the NFL, held the Patriots to only 89 rushing yds and intercepted Jones twice. The Bills, the #3 seed, will now travel to KC, the #2 seed. It is a rematch of last season’s conference championship, which KC won convincingly. The teams played in Week 5, when the Bills won, 38-20. Much has changed since then, most notably KC’s defense, which was considered one of the worst units in the league earlier this season.
Bengals 26, Raiders 19
QB Joe Burrow led the Bengals’ high-powered offense on scoring drives in their four possessions in the first half, connecting for TDs with receiver Tyler Boyd and TE C.J. Uzomah as Cincinnati secured its first playoff win in 31 years. The LVegas Raiders made a late-game surge, but a controversial roughing the passer call gave LVegas a chance to score but LB Germaine Pratt intercepted a Derek Carr pass at the 2-yard line to end the threat.
Joe Burrow’s second TD throw of the Cincinnati Bengals’ 26-19 win over the LVegas Raiders was impressive – but it should not have counted. Before Tyler Boyd made the catch, an official accidentally blew the whistle, which caused several Raiders defenders to assume the play had been called dead. Whether Boyd would have made the catch anyway is debatable, but the NFL rules indicate the play should not have stood.
The Bengals now face the Titans. The bye week gave RB Derrick Henry extra time to rest his surgically repaired foot. Henry participated in contact practice this week and the Titans will make a decision this Friday on whether or not he will play against the Bengals.
On Sunday, word came out that head referee Jerome Boger’s officiating crew is not expected to return this postseason. That would be the best for everybody involved.
What happened on Sunday:
Buccaneers 31, Eagles 15
After a sluggish opening defined by miscommunications with Tom Brady and his younger receivers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers easily defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to advance to the divisional round.
The Buccaneers held Philadelphia scoreless until Q4. Self-inflicted mishaps ― errant throws by Jalen Hurts, dropped passes and a muffed punt by Jalen Reagor recovered by TBay ― doomed the Eagles from securing an upset. The Eagles fell into a 17-0 hole early, and their vaunted running game was not equipped to shovel them out. Four players, including QB Jalen Hurts, combined for 95 rushing yds that mostly came in garbage time.
Teams know better than to run against TBay: The Buccaneers saw the fewest rushing attempts of any team this season but still were in the top 10 in tackles for loss, remarkable efficiency for a front seven.
Philadelphia led the league in rushing yds per game, but no team in the 2021 regular season threw the ball less often, and the threat of QB Jalen Hurts or any of the Eagles’ backs was not enough to manufacture alleys against a defense plugged by the gigantic combination of Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh on the interior.
The Eagles’ only strength played to a buzz saw performance by the Buccaneers’ defense. Hurts led all Eagles rushers with 39 yds, and a 34-yard TD in garbage time from Boston Scott inflated what had been a 3.8 yds per carry team average prior. He ended with 22-for-40 while throwing two interceptions. He didn’t record a TD pass until late in the Q4 when the game was essentially decided.
Worse, Philadelphia could not manage to exploit its opponent’s most glaring weakness. Key losses have dogged TBay’s secondary all season. In his second season, Hurts has worked hard to improve his craft as a passer, but some key misses of receivers streaking up and across the seams cost his team opportunities to gain big yardage.
In the second half, Hurts’s indecision gave edge rushers Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka time to flush him out of the pocket and force him to try to squeeze passes up the sideline. Hurts was intercepted twice, one a backbreaking pick before halftime when DeVonta Smith broke open on a double move before safety Mike Edwards undercut a low and late throw.
After the game, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni gave Hurts what sounded like a genuine vote of confidence. “I know we’re all judged on the last game that we played,” he said, “I fully get that, but I felt like Jalen grew throughout the year. And he got better as a passer, he got better reading the defense, getting the ball to the right place.” It sounds like the Eagles are sticking with their young QB for the time being.
While it was impressive to watch a QB in his mid-40s march up and down the field in the postseason, Sunday’s wild-card win didn’t provide any tangible answers as to whether TBay is equipped to defend its throne against the NFL’s better teams, only that the team is wily enough to try.
TBay relied on rushing TDs to open up the field for Tom Brady. The Bucs had previously lost Brady’s two favored passing receivers Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown, so it helped that Philly ranked in the bottom 10 in sacks, tackles for loss and passes broken up. Their soft zone coverage and inability to create much pressure gave Brady a sweatless 29-of-37 performance, including two TDs.
Rob Gronkowski’s TD reception on Sunday was the 107th of his career. Of those 107 TDs, 105 of them were thrown by the same person: Tom Brady. Rob Gronkowski still has some of the best hands in football, but he has lost a step and a half, making Godwin’s injury and Brown’s exit stand out in obvious passing situations. Jonathan Gannon, the Eagles’ DC, brought a few blitzes in the second half and played zone coverage behind it, and TBay’s backup receivers couldn’t find the open windows downfield on which this vertical passing game thrives.
Darius Slay and Steven Nelson couldn’t guard Mike Evans (117 yds, one TD) without help over the top, but the few times Philadelphia ran man coverage, there weren’t many other outlets available for Brady. By then, though, Philadelphia had already been buried.
TBay will host the LA Rams, who routed the Arizona Cardinals Monday night. TBay played the Rams in Week 3 and lost, 34-24.
Last edited:
Lethe200
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
How Sunday’s Games Affect the NFL Playoff Matchups, Pt 2 of 2
Correction: NYTimes, WashPost, SBNation, local media Jan. 18, 2022
49ers 23, Cowboys 17
In the only upset of the postseason, the SF 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, leaning as they did all season on the versatile receiver Deebo Samuel, an effective rushing attack and a stout defensive showing.
The 49ers held the Cowboys, the league’s top-scoring offense during the regular season, to just one TD in the first three quarters. SF ran out to a 13-point lead and held it until Jimmy Garoppolo’s Q4 interception allowed Dallas to pull within a score. Injuries took Niner All-Pro pass rushers Nick Bosa and Fred Warner out of the game, and Dallas took advantage.
Down 23-7 at the start of Q4, the Cowboys executed a desperately needed fake punt from their own 48-yard line to keep possession. They scored a FG and then a TD, cutting the lead to 6 and forced SF to punt on its next two drives. The Cowboys’ final drive featured a frantic 47-yd scurry that ended when Dak Prescott botched spiking the ball as time expired.
Niners Coach Kyle Shanahan led his team through what felt like an endless loop of two consecutive losses following two consecutive wins, remaining steady in his approach ― and his flawed QB, Jimmy Garoppolo, who was just good enough to beat the Cowboys on Sunday. It was not until after the game it was revealed that JG suffered a painful shoulder sprain on his throwing side in Q2, but insisted on staying in the game.
Despite selecting Trey Lance in last year’s draft, the 49ers stayed with Garoppolo as their starter all season. While Garoppolo, as usual, wasn’t perfect on Sunday, being patient could end up paying dividends. Lance has a higher ceiling than Garoppolo, whose propensity for making poor throws has made him a lightning rod for criticism. But SF thinks they have a good chance of winning a championship right now and believe that Garoppolo – who has already led the team to an unexpected Super Bowl appearance – gives them a better chance in the playoffs than a talented, but completely untested rookie.
Can Garoppolo mimic the story of Nick Foles, the unassuming journeyman who was supposed to be Carson Wentz’s backup in Philadelphia, but ended up being the MVP of Super Bowl LII? Stay tuned.
In a game where the Cowboys set a new playoff record for infractions (14; 89 yds total) ― the late-game sloppiness held the wild-card round’s most chaotic ending. Gifted the game’s final possession with 32 seconds left, Dallas completed three consecutive passes and got out of bounds to stop the clock. Looking to cut the distance to the end zone before attempting a final Hail Mary throw, Prescott ran a QB draw on second-and-1 from the 49ers’ 41-yard line. He gained 17 yds – but he mismanaged the trade-off between yds gained and time saved.
He also handed the ball to his center, rather than to the ref, who must place the ball. As Dallas rushed to spike the pass with 10 seconds remaining, the clock ticked down to zero to end the last-gasp effort. Sunday was not McCarthy’s first time bungling situational football in the 2021 season, but the loss will stick with Dallas’s fans and ownership. Dallas must look for an answer as to how this team found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The most painful thing about that Cowboys’ loss is that once upon a time, when the Cowboys were firmly America’s Team and synonymous with football, they would have pulled it off a comeback and won. This is a franchise that has made it to the Super Bowl eight times, tied for the second-most out of all NFL franchises. Between 1992 and 1995, they won three championships and established themselves as the team of the decade. They were more than dominant, they were inevitable.
But no longer. The Cowboys haven’t won a title since the 1995 season. In their last 11 playoff appearances, they have failed to even make the conference championship game, the longest such drought since the AFC and NFC were established in 1970. With Sunday’s loss, they have now gone out in their first game of the postseason seven times in those 11 opportunities.
There is, however, one place where the Cowboys still reign supreme. At $5.7bn, the Cowboys are ranked by Forbes as the most valuable sports franchise in the world. That’s not bad for a team that Jerry Jones purchased for $150m back in 1989. That puts them above storied teams like the NY Yankees, Real Madrid and the LA Lakers. Of course, there’s a major difference between those teams and the Cowboys: the others have won titles this century.
The Cowboys, in contrast, keep taking in money without producing any tangible results. Actually, scratch that – maybe in a very real way, they still are America’s Team.
Sunday Night Game: Chiefs 42, Steelers 21
After a slow start and allowing a T.J. Watt scoop-and-score, KC rebounded to blow out the Pittsburgh Steelers in what was later confirmed by QB Ben Roethlisberger as his last game. Patrick Mahomes threw for 404 yds and five TDs, displaying the KC offense’s usual offensive firepower. KC, the #2 seed, will now face the Bills, the #3 seed.
Patrick Mahomes demolished the Steelers, throwing five TDs scores and averaging 10.4 yds per pass Sunday, in what may have been the final game of Ben Roethlisberger’s 18-year NFL career. KC will host the Bills in the divisional round.
Monday Night Game: Rams 34, Cardinals 11
The LA Rams won their third meeting with the division rival AZ Cardinals in Monday night’s finale to the wild-card round. It was a disappointing coda that saw the Rams build a 21-0 first-half lead. It was Matthew Stafford’s first-ever playoff victory after 12 years with Detroit. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 202 yds and two TDs, notably with no interceptions, as LA advanced to face the Buccaneers in the divisional round.
After an inconsistent finish to the regular season, the Rams’ constellation of big stars came together brilliantly on the postseason stage. Odell Beckham Jr and Cooper Kupp made TD catches. Beckham had four catches for 54 yds, including his first career playoff TD catch for the Rams’ first points. He also threw a 40-yd pass during his own first postseason victory.
LB Von Miller added six tackles and a key early sack in his first postseason appearance since winning the MVP award in Super Bowl 50. Eric Weddle got significant playing time for the Rams in the 37-year-old veteran’s first NFL game since the 2019 season finale. The two-time All-Pro safety ended his retirement last week to help out after LA lost starters Taylor Rapp to a concussion and Jordan Fuller to a season-ending ankle injury.
Playing without top receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona’s offense wobbled and Kyler Murray finished with 137 yds on 19 of 34 passing with no TDs and two interceptions. The Cardinals started hot this year with a 10-2 start but ended with a 1-5 slide. Arizona lost on the road for only the second time in 10 games this season under coach Kliff Kingsbury, but fell to the Rams for the 10th time in the NFC West rivals’ last 11 meetings.
Cardinals safety Budda Baker was knocked unconscious and left the field on a stretcher in the third quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit with Akers. Players knelt around Baker in concern before he was taken off the field. He was taken to a hospital for a concussion, but had movement in his extremities and was released the next day.
Correction: NYTimes, WashPost, SBNation, local media Jan. 18, 2022
49ers 23, Cowboys 17
In the only upset of the postseason, the SF 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, leaning as they did all season on the versatile receiver Deebo Samuel, an effective rushing attack and a stout defensive showing.
The 49ers held the Cowboys, the league’s top-scoring offense during the regular season, to just one TD in the first three quarters. SF ran out to a 13-point lead and held it until Jimmy Garoppolo’s Q4 interception allowed Dallas to pull within a score. Injuries took Niner All-Pro pass rushers Nick Bosa and Fred Warner out of the game, and Dallas took advantage.
Down 23-7 at the start of Q4, the Cowboys executed a desperately needed fake punt from their own 48-yard line to keep possession. They scored a FG and then a TD, cutting the lead to 6 and forced SF to punt on its next two drives. The Cowboys’ final drive featured a frantic 47-yd scurry that ended when Dak Prescott botched spiking the ball as time expired.
Niners Coach Kyle Shanahan led his team through what felt like an endless loop of two consecutive losses following two consecutive wins, remaining steady in his approach ― and his flawed QB, Jimmy Garoppolo, who was just good enough to beat the Cowboys on Sunday. It was not until after the game it was revealed that JG suffered a painful shoulder sprain on his throwing side in Q2, but insisted on staying in the game.
Despite selecting Trey Lance in last year’s draft, the 49ers stayed with Garoppolo as their starter all season. While Garoppolo, as usual, wasn’t perfect on Sunday, being patient could end up paying dividends. Lance has a higher ceiling than Garoppolo, whose propensity for making poor throws has made him a lightning rod for criticism. But SF thinks they have a good chance of winning a championship right now and believe that Garoppolo – who has already led the team to an unexpected Super Bowl appearance – gives them a better chance in the playoffs than a talented, but completely untested rookie.
Can Garoppolo mimic the story of Nick Foles, the unassuming journeyman who was supposed to be Carson Wentz’s backup in Philadelphia, but ended up being the MVP of Super Bowl LII? Stay tuned.
In a game where the Cowboys set a new playoff record for infractions (14; 89 yds total) ― the late-game sloppiness held the wild-card round’s most chaotic ending. Gifted the game’s final possession with 32 seconds left, Dallas completed three consecutive passes and got out of bounds to stop the clock. Looking to cut the distance to the end zone before attempting a final Hail Mary throw, Prescott ran a QB draw on second-and-1 from the 49ers’ 41-yard line. He gained 17 yds – but he mismanaged the trade-off between yds gained and time saved.
He also handed the ball to his center, rather than to the ref, who must place the ball. As Dallas rushed to spike the pass with 10 seconds remaining, the clock ticked down to zero to end the last-gasp effort. Sunday was not McCarthy’s first time bungling situational football in the 2021 season, but the loss will stick with Dallas’s fans and ownership. Dallas must look for an answer as to how this team found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The most painful thing about that Cowboys’ loss is that once upon a time, when the Cowboys were firmly America’s Team and synonymous with football, they would have pulled it off a comeback and won. This is a franchise that has made it to the Super Bowl eight times, tied for the second-most out of all NFL franchises. Between 1992 and 1995, they won three championships and established themselves as the team of the decade. They were more than dominant, they were inevitable.
But no longer. The Cowboys haven’t won a title since the 1995 season. In their last 11 playoff appearances, they have failed to even make the conference championship game, the longest such drought since the AFC and NFC were established in 1970. With Sunday’s loss, they have now gone out in their first game of the postseason seven times in those 11 opportunities.
There is, however, one place where the Cowboys still reign supreme. At $5.7bn, the Cowboys are ranked by Forbes as the most valuable sports franchise in the world. That’s not bad for a team that Jerry Jones purchased for $150m back in 1989. That puts them above storied teams like the NY Yankees, Real Madrid and the LA Lakers. Of course, there’s a major difference between those teams and the Cowboys: the others have won titles this century.
The Cowboys, in contrast, keep taking in money without producing any tangible results. Actually, scratch that – maybe in a very real way, they still are America’s Team.
Sunday Night Game: Chiefs 42, Steelers 21
After a slow start and allowing a T.J. Watt scoop-and-score, KC rebounded to blow out the Pittsburgh Steelers in what was later confirmed by QB Ben Roethlisberger as his last game. Patrick Mahomes threw for 404 yds and five TDs, displaying the KC offense’s usual offensive firepower. KC, the #2 seed, will now face the Bills, the #3 seed.
Patrick Mahomes demolished the Steelers, throwing five TDs scores and averaging 10.4 yds per pass Sunday, in what may have been the final game of Ben Roethlisberger’s 18-year NFL career. KC will host the Bills in the divisional round.
Monday Night Game: Rams 34, Cardinals 11
The LA Rams won their third meeting with the division rival AZ Cardinals in Monday night’s finale to the wild-card round. It was a disappointing coda that saw the Rams build a 21-0 first-half lead. It was Matthew Stafford’s first-ever playoff victory after 12 years with Detroit. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 202 yds and two TDs, notably with no interceptions, as LA advanced to face the Buccaneers in the divisional round.
After an inconsistent finish to the regular season, the Rams’ constellation of big stars came together brilliantly on the postseason stage. Odell Beckham Jr and Cooper Kupp made TD catches. Beckham had four catches for 54 yds, including his first career playoff TD catch for the Rams’ first points. He also threw a 40-yd pass during his own first postseason victory.
LB Von Miller added six tackles and a key early sack in his first postseason appearance since winning the MVP award in Super Bowl 50. Eric Weddle got significant playing time for the Rams in the 37-year-old veteran’s first NFL game since the 2019 season finale. The two-time All-Pro safety ended his retirement last week to help out after LA lost starters Taylor Rapp to a concussion and Jordan Fuller to a season-ending ankle injury.
Playing without top receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona’s offense wobbled and Kyler Murray finished with 137 yds on 19 of 34 passing with no TDs and two interceptions. The Cardinals started hot this year with a 10-2 start but ended with a 1-5 slide. Arizona lost on the road for only the second time in 10 games this season under coach Kliff Kingsbury, but fell to the Rams for the 10th time in the NFC West rivals’ last 11 meetings.
Cardinals safety Budda Baker was knocked unconscious and left the field on a stretcher in the third quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit with Akers. Players knelt around Baker in concern before he was taken off the field. He was taken to a hospital for a concussion, but had movement in his extremities and was released the next day.
Lethe200
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
The biggest questions for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs
WashPost 19Jan2022
After one of the most unpredictable NFL regular seasons in recent memory, the first round of the playoffs was largely predictable this past weekend. Five of the six home teams, all of them favorites, won, with only the SF 49ers pulling an upset over the Dallas Cowboys.
Will that carry over to the divisional round? Let’s take a look at the biggest questions heading into each matchup. (all times Eastern Standard)
Bengals at Titans (Saturday, 4:30p)
Can the Bengals’ OL protect Joe Burrow?
One of the biggest debates heading into last year’s draft was whether the Bengals should select Ja’Marr Chase or offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the fifth overall pick. Chase has proven them correct with an excellent rookie season, but the OL nonetheless remains a problem area for Cincinnati. Burrow was sacked 51 times this season, and whether the Titans can get pressure on him to disrupt the Bengals’ potent passing attack could be a difference-maker in this game.
Will Derrick Henry’s return be enough to get Tennessee to the AFC championship game?
It isn’t a lock that Henry will play Saturday, but it appears to be trending in that direction. He was on pace for a second straight 2,000-yard season before suffering a foot injury Oct. 31, and his presence makes a huge difference for an offense that aims to win with the running game and play-action passing attack — and whose line has struggled in pass protection.
The Bengals’ defensive line had two key injuries in the win over the Raiders on Saturday. Tackle Larry Ogunjobi will miss the game against the Titans, while Trey Hendrickson is questionable with a concussion. A heavy dose of Henry, along with play-action passing to A.J. Brown and the newly healthy Julio Jones, could be a lot for Cincinnati to overcome.
49ers at Packers (Saturday, 8:15p)
Can a banged-up Niners defense slow the Packers’ passing game?
SF’s defense was excellent in the win over Dallas, but it did start to wear out down the stretch — which coincided with losing its two best defenders to injury in pass rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner. If both are able to play, this is a unit capable of at least limiting Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and the Packers’ passing attack. Rodgers should be able to identify favorable matchups against SF’s CBs, so the pass rush will need to be disruptive the way it was versus the Cowboys.
Can the Packers stop Deebo Samuel?
Much discussion of the 49ers’ offense revolves around QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who could be playing his final game in a SF uniform and will need to play a great game for his team to pull off another upset. That won’t be easy as he deals with thumb and shoulder injuries.
But the biggest difference-maker on the field might be Samuel. Coach Kyle Shanahan has deployed him as a dual threat pass-catcher and runner, and defenses haven’t been able to figure him out. He averaged 18.2 yds per catch and 6.2 yds per rush this season, with 14 total TDs. The 49ers will need to match the Packers’ big-play ability, and Samuel should play a key role.
Rams at Buccaneers (Sunday, 3p)
Will injuries finally catch up to the TBay offense?
They haven’t yet, as Tom Brady led an efficient attack in a decisive first-round win over the Eagles. But this week could be different, as the statuses of right tackle Tristan Wirfs and center Ryan Jensen are uncertain after both were injured against Philadelphia.
That’s a concern heading into a matchup with the Rams, who have the best interior rusher in the NFL in Aaron Donald and a former Super Bowl MVP in edge rusher Von Miller. Brady, who continues to play at an elite level, has overcome the absences of WR Chris Godwin and other weapons in recent weeks, but a banged-up OL might be more worrisome.
Will Matthew Stafford rip apart the Bucs’ blitz?
Stafford has been one of the best QBs against the blitz all season, and he destroyed the Cardinals’ blitz packages in Monday night’s blowout win. Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is one of the best in the NFL at drawing up blitzes, but he might opt to take a different approach against Stafford.
Either way, Stafford’s ability to avoid mistakes — which he did against Arizona but struggled with late in the regular season, such as the final vs the Niners — will be a huge factor in this one. Having RB Cam Akers back from a torn Achilles’ suffered in the preseason is a boost for the Rams.
Bills at Chiefs (Sunday, 6:30p)
Can the Chiefs’ defense slow the resurgent Bills’ running game?
Buffalo’s offense came under fire during the season for becoming too pass-heavy, but coordinator Brian Daboll fixed that down the stretch by going with a more balanced attack. A key component of that has been the running of QB Josh Allen, who played a phenomenal game Saturday night against the Patriots — including 66 rushing yds on six carries. The Chiefs’ defense has improved significantly since the start of the season, but it hasn’t been great against the run. It will need to contain Allen on the ground.
What type of performance will we see from Patrick Mahomes?
Mahomes has bounced back from his early-season struggles, although turnovers remain a mild concern after he threw an interception in the blowout of the Steelers, following his 13-pick regular season. But to keep pace with the Bills’ offense, which was unstoppable against the Patriots, Mahomes might need the type of dominating performance we’re used to seeing from him in recent seasons. That includes playing error-free against a Bills defense that is one of the best in the league.
Buffalo was 0-5 this season in games decided by seven points or fewer, so if the Chiefs can keep things close, they’ll have a good chance of earning the win.
WashPost 19Jan2022
After one of the most unpredictable NFL regular seasons in recent memory, the first round of the playoffs was largely predictable this past weekend. Five of the six home teams, all of them favorites, won, with only the SF 49ers pulling an upset over the Dallas Cowboys.
Will that carry over to the divisional round? Let’s take a look at the biggest questions heading into each matchup. (all times Eastern Standard)
Bengals at Titans (Saturday, 4:30p)
Can the Bengals’ OL protect Joe Burrow?
One of the biggest debates heading into last year’s draft was whether the Bengals should select Ja’Marr Chase or offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the fifth overall pick. Chase has proven them correct with an excellent rookie season, but the OL nonetheless remains a problem area for Cincinnati. Burrow was sacked 51 times this season, and whether the Titans can get pressure on him to disrupt the Bengals’ potent passing attack could be a difference-maker in this game.
Will Derrick Henry’s return be enough to get Tennessee to the AFC championship game?
It isn’t a lock that Henry will play Saturday, but it appears to be trending in that direction. He was on pace for a second straight 2,000-yard season before suffering a foot injury Oct. 31, and his presence makes a huge difference for an offense that aims to win with the running game and play-action passing attack — and whose line has struggled in pass protection.
The Bengals’ defensive line had two key injuries in the win over the Raiders on Saturday. Tackle Larry Ogunjobi will miss the game against the Titans, while Trey Hendrickson is questionable with a concussion. A heavy dose of Henry, along with play-action passing to A.J. Brown and the newly healthy Julio Jones, could be a lot for Cincinnati to overcome.
49ers at Packers (Saturday, 8:15p)
Can a banged-up Niners defense slow the Packers’ passing game?
SF’s defense was excellent in the win over Dallas, but it did start to wear out down the stretch — which coincided with losing its two best defenders to injury in pass rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner. If both are able to play, this is a unit capable of at least limiting Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and the Packers’ passing attack. Rodgers should be able to identify favorable matchups against SF’s CBs, so the pass rush will need to be disruptive the way it was versus the Cowboys.
Can the Packers stop Deebo Samuel?
Much discussion of the 49ers’ offense revolves around QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who could be playing his final game in a SF uniform and will need to play a great game for his team to pull off another upset. That won’t be easy as he deals with thumb and shoulder injuries.
But the biggest difference-maker on the field might be Samuel. Coach Kyle Shanahan has deployed him as a dual threat pass-catcher and runner, and defenses haven’t been able to figure him out. He averaged 18.2 yds per catch and 6.2 yds per rush this season, with 14 total TDs. The 49ers will need to match the Packers’ big-play ability, and Samuel should play a key role.
Rams at Buccaneers (Sunday, 3p)
Will injuries finally catch up to the TBay offense?
They haven’t yet, as Tom Brady led an efficient attack in a decisive first-round win over the Eagles. But this week could be different, as the statuses of right tackle Tristan Wirfs and center Ryan Jensen are uncertain after both were injured against Philadelphia.
That’s a concern heading into a matchup with the Rams, who have the best interior rusher in the NFL in Aaron Donald and a former Super Bowl MVP in edge rusher Von Miller. Brady, who continues to play at an elite level, has overcome the absences of WR Chris Godwin and other weapons in recent weeks, but a banged-up OL might be more worrisome.
Will Matthew Stafford rip apart the Bucs’ blitz?
Stafford has been one of the best QBs against the blitz all season, and he destroyed the Cardinals’ blitz packages in Monday night’s blowout win. Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is one of the best in the NFL at drawing up blitzes, but he might opt to take a different approach against Stafford.
Either way, Stafford’s ability to avoid mistakes — which he did against Arizona but struggled with late in the regular season, such as the final vs the Niners — will be a huge factor in this one. Having RB Cam Akers back from a torn Achilles’ suffered in the preseason is a boost for the Rams.
Bills at Chiefs (Sunday, 6:30p)
Can the Chiefs’ defense slow the resurgent Bills’ running game?
Buffalo’s offense came under fire during the season for becoming too pass-heavy, but coordinator Brian Daboll fixed that down the stretch by going with a more balanced attack. A key component of that has been the running of QB Josh Allen, who played a phenomenal game Saturday night against the Patriots — including 66 rushing yds on six carries. The Chiefs’ defense has improved significantly since the start of the season, but it hasn’t been great against the run. It will need to contain Allen on the ground.
What type of performance will we see from Patrick Mahomes?
Mahomes has bounced back from his early-season struggles, although turnovers remain a mild concern after he threw an interception in the blowout of the Steelers, following his 13-pick regular season. But to keep pace with the Bills’ offense, which was unstoppable against the Patriots, Mahomes might need the type of dominating performance we’re used to seeing from him in recent seasons. That includes playing error-free against a Bills defense that is one of the best in the league.
Buffalo was 0-5 this season in games decided by seven points or fewer, so if the Chiefs can keep things close, they’ll have a good chance of earning the win.
Lethe200
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
A slightly different take from London Guardian US:
NFL divisional round predictions: Bengals to upset No 1 seed Titans
Eight teams remain after a brutal Super Wild Card Weekend. Which four teams will advance to the conference finals?
London Guardian U.S. 21 Jan 2022
OK, so the much ballyhooed Super Wild Card Weekend slate ended up being something of a bust. Of the six games, four ended up being blowouts, with only the Cincinnati Bengals’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys’ epic choke-job against the San Francisco 49ers providing much drama. However, with the field culled down to eight, the divisional round traditionally ends up providing fans with the most exciting four games of the year. Here are our predictions for which teams will advance to the conference finals.
Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans (Saturday, 4.30pm EST)
What the Bengals need to do to win: At the risk of repeating ourselves, the Bengals’ hope of success lies in Joe Burrow. If Burrow can have another performance like the one against the Raiders last week, where he threw for two touchdowns (albeit one with an assist from an erroneous whistle) and amassed 244 yards, the Bengals could pull off something nearly unthinkable for them: a playoff winning streak.
What the Titans need to do to win: Rely heavily on their running game. Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill has had a fine year, but the passing game is not their true strength. Plus, the Bengals’ defense has allowed a not-ideal 4.4 yards per rush this season, making it a crucial weakness for the Titans’ running back corps to exploit.
Key player: Derrick Henry, running back, Titans. While Henry has been out with a fractured foot since Week 8, he is one of the best players in the league when healthy. The question is how good he will be after his injury. Tennessee have proved they can win without him, going 6-3 in his absence, but the playoffs are a different beast and the Titans are at their most dangerous when Henry is barreling through hapless defenses.
Prediction: Bengals over Titans
San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers (Saturday, 8.15pm EST)
What the 49ers need to do to win: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who is dealing with a strained shoulder, simply cannot afford to make the mistakes that nearly doomed his team against the Cowboys. During the win, he threw one potentially game-changing pick in the fourth quarter and was inches away from throwing a second. The 49ers got away with their blunders last week because the Cowboys were even sloppier, but the Green Bay Packers won’t be as forgiving.
What the Packers need to do to win: With Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback, the trick will be for the Green Bay defense to force the ailing Garoppolo into a throwing contest. The Packers should be able to score with ease – that’s not going to be the issue – but the 49ers are a great, well-rounded team that could very well keep pace. That is unless, as noted above, the Packers expose San Francisco’s weakness at the most important position in the entire sport.
Key player: Davante Adams, wide receiver, Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers is going to be the league MVP for the second straight season, but let’s give some credit to his top receiver. Adams is a huge reason for Rodgers’ success, having put up 2,927 yards and scored 29 touchdowns combined over the past two seasons. If this weekend’s heavyweight matchup is Josh Allen v Patrick Mahomes, then Adams v Deebo Samuel will make one hell of an undercard.
Prediction: Packers over 49ers
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, 3.00pm EST)
What the Rams need to do to win: Get a big game from quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Buccaneers have a great run defense but not the best luck in limiting the pass. Opposing quarterbacks have averaged a 65% completion rate against the Bucs this season. If Stafford can do his best to throw it to the players wearing Rams uniforms, not exactly his greatest attribute as a QB, he could put his team in line for a road victory.
What the Buccaneers need to do to win: Keep Tom Brady upright. If the offensive line doesn’t do its job, the Rams could stifle the mighty Tampa Bay offense. As great as Brady is, he’s still 44 years old and was never the most mobile quarterback in the league. He’s also missing most of his reliable targets, not counting Rob Gronkowski, so he might need an extra second or two to get the ball out of his hands.
Key player: Aaron Donald, defensive tackle, Rams. What Rodgers is to offense, Aaron Donald is to defense. The preseason favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year every year, he’s exactly the guy to disrupt Brady’s flow and stop Tampa Bay’s attempt at winning back-to-back Super Bowls.
Prediction: Buccaneers over Rams
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday 6.00pm EST)
What the Bills need to do to win: Score a touchdown on every drive again? In last week’s thorough humiliation of the New England Patriots, the Bills did just that if you don’t count the game-ending kneel down. They clearly don’t need any notes from a gameplay perspective but maybe the best advice they should heed is not to get too cocky after pitching a perfect game. The Patriots essentially folded against them last week and the Chiefs will do no such thing.
What the Chiefs need to do to win: The Chiefs defense must put together a clinic. Despite being much-improved from previous incarnations, Kansas City’s defense is still not entirely a known entity. It’s going to be a team effort on Sunday, because even if they stop the pass, Allen can just take the ball himself. He’s rushed for 60 yards in five of his last six games.
Key player: Josh Allen, quarterback, Bills. Josh Allen’s not entirely expected development from a promising but highly erratic younger passer to one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the game has been one of the league’s best storylines. Now comes the biggest challenge of his young career: winning a shoot-out against Patrick Mahomes during a road playoff game.
Can he pull it off? Well, that’s why they play the games … and it’s going to be glorious watching him try. This is the game of the weekend and possibly the entire NFL season.
Prediction: Chiefs over Bills
NFL divisional round predictions: Bengals to upset No 1 seed Titans
Eight teams remain after a brutal Super Wild Card Weekend. Which four teams will advance to the conference finals?
London Guardian U.S. 21 Jan 2022
OK, so the much ballyhooed Super Wild Card Weekend slate ended up being something of a bust. Of the six games, four ended up being blowouts, with only the Cincinnati Bengals’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys’ epic choke-job against the San Francisco 49ers providing much drama. However, with the field culled down to eight, the divisional round traditionally ends up providing fans with the most exciting four games of the year. Here are our predictions for which teams will advance to the conference finals.
Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans (Saturday, 4.30pm EST)
What the Bengals need to do to win: At the risk of repeating ourselves, the Bengals’ hope of success lies in Joe Burrow. If Burrow can have another performance like the one against the Raiders last week, where he threw for two touchdowns (albeit one with an assist from an erroneous whistle) and amassed 244 yards, the Bengals could pull off something nearly unthinkable for them: a playoff winning streak.
What the Titans need to do to win: Rely heavily on their running game. Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill has had a fine year, but the passing game is not their true strength. Plus, the Bengals’ defense has allowed a not-ideal 4.4 yards per rush this season, making it a crucial weakness for the Titans’ running back corps to exploit.
Key player: Derrick Henry, running back, Titans. While Henry has been out with a fractured foot since Week 8, he is one of the best players in the league when healthy. The question is how good he will be after his injury. Tennessee have proved they can win without him, going 6-3 in his absence, but the playoffs are a different beast and the Titans are at their most dangerous when Henry is barreling through hapless defenses.
Prediction: Bengals over Titans
San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers (Saturday, 8.15pm EST)
What the 49ers need to do to win: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who is dealing with a strained shoulder, simply cannot afford to make the mistakes that nearly doomed his team against the Cowboys. During the win, he threw one potentially game-changing pick in the fourth quarter and was inches away from throwing a second. The 49ers got away with their blunders last week because the Cowboys were even sloppier, but the Green Bay Packers won’t be as forgiving.
What the Packers need to do to win: With Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback, the trick will be for the Green Bay defense to force the ailing Garoppolo into a throwing contest. The Packers should be able to score with ease – that’s not going to be the issue – but the 49ers are a great, well-rounded team that could very well keep pace. That is unless, as noted above, the Packers expose San Francisco’s weakness at the most important position in the entire sport.
Key player: Davante Adams, wide receiver, Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers is going to be the league MVP for the second straight season, but let’s give some credit to his top receiver. Adams is a huge reason for Rodgers’ success, having put up 2,927 yards and scored 29 touchdowns combined over the past two seasons. If this weekend’s heavyweight matchup is Josh Allen v Patrick Mahomes, then Adams v Deebo Samuel will make one hell of an undercard.
Prediction: Packers over 49ers
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, 3.00pm EST)
What the Rams need to do to win: Get a big game from quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Buccaneers have a great run defense but not the best luck in limiting the pass. Opposing quarterbacks have averaged a 65% completion rate against the Bucs this season. If Stafford can do his best to throw it to the players wearing Rams uniforms, not exactly his greatest attribute as a QB, he could put his team in line for a road victory.
What the Buccaneers need to do to win: Keep Tom Brady upright. If the offensive line doesn’t do its job, the Rams could stifle the mighty Tampa Bay offense. As great as Brady is, he’s still 44 years old and was never the most mobile quarterback in the league. He’s also missing most of his reliable targets, not counting Rob Gronkowski, so he might need an extra second or two to get the ball out of his hands.
Key player: Aaron Donald, defensive tackle, Rams. What Rodgers is to offense, Aaron Donald is to defense. The preseason favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year every year, he’s exactly the guy to disrupt Brady’s flow and stop Tampa Bay’s attempt at winning back-to-back Super Bowls.
Prediction: Buccaneers over Rams
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday 6.00pm EST)
What the Bills need to do to win: Score a touchdown on every drive again? In last week’s thorough humiliation of the New England Patriots, the Bills did just that if you don’t count the game-ending kneel down. They clearly don’t need any notes from a gameplay perspective but maybe the best advice they should heed is not to get too cocky after pitching a perfect game. The Patriots essentially folded against them last week and the Chiefs will do no such thing.
What the Chiefs need to do to win: The Chiefs defense must put together a clinic. Despite being much-improved from previous incarnations, Kansas City’s defense is still not entirely a known entity. It’s going to be a team effort on Sunday, because even if they stop the pass, Allen can just take the ball himself. He’s rushed for 60 yards in five of his last six games.
Key player: Josh Allen, quarterback, Bills. Josh Allen’s not entirely expected development from a promising but highly erratic younger passer to one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the game has been one of the league’s best storylines. Now comes the biggest challenge of his young career: winning a shoot-out against Patrick Mahomes during a road playoff game.
Can he pull it off? Well, that’s why they play the games … and it’s going to be glorious watching him try. This is the game of the weekend and possibly the entire NFL season.
Prediction: Chiefs over Bills
Feelslikefar
Senior Member
- Location
- Nashville, TN
Obviously, I'm picking the Titans to win.
Glad that Henry will see the field, but our real strength is the head coach.
Going out on a limb and picking the 49ers over GB and the Bills in an upset.
Glad I still have some of my 'mad money' left to cement my picks.
( I got the 'eye roll' from the wife when I told her my picks, so that's always fun. )
Will be some good games no matter what happens.
Glad that Henry will see the field, but our real strength is the head coach.
Going out on a limb and picking the 49ers over GB and the Bills in an upset.
Glad I still have some of my 'mad money' left to cement my picks.
( I got the 'eye roll' from the wife when I told her my picks, so that's always fun. )
Will be some good games no matter what happens.
Lethe 200, Post 443 regarding the dismal play of the Dallas Cowboys.
The AM spots shows in Dallas are raising hell on how such an alleged great Dallas team could give a game away to the upstart 49's.
I have followed them since their inception in 1960, I used to cry, scream, whine at their inadequate performances.
The times they have put me in a melancholy state for months after the season was over are to numerous to mention.
I swore no more, no more, but I always keep crawling back.
Dallas had the better team
They knew it
SF knew it
Sf came to play for sixty minutes
Dallas came to exhibit their BIG Plays, subdue these 49 upstarts
Mr. Dak (Dallas QB) was tight, tight, unable to hit is flashy receivers.
The Dallas defense could not stop the run
Dallas was unable to change their game plan, our big plays will silence these guys.
We don't need to stay with running the football
The 49's keep piling up the yards and the clock
Dallas continue to depend on their passing game
Penalties-honestly!
The last minute of the game was a horrid affair horrid, just horrid
Hopefully, the Dallas coaching staff will watch the Evil Arron Rodgers dispatch the 49's, perhaps they
might learn how to alter their game play:
When you game plan is not working-Change It!
The AM spots shows in Dallas are raising hell on how such an alleged great Dallas team could give a game away to the upstart 49's.
I have followed them since their inception in 1960, I used to cry, scream, whine at their inadequate performances.
The times they have put me in a melancholy state for months after the season was over are to numerous to mention.
I swore no more, no more, but I always keep crawling back.
Dallas had the better team
They knew it
SF knew it
Sf came to play for sixty minutes
Dallas came to exhibit their BIG Plays, subdue these 49 upstarts
Mr. Dak (Dallas QB) was tight, tight, unable to hit is flashy receivers.
The Dallas defense could not stop the run
Dallas was unable to change their game plan, our big plays will silence these guys.
We don't need to stay with running the football
The 49's keep piling up the yards and the clock
Dallas continue to depend on their passing game
Penalties-honestly!
The last minute of the game was a horrid affair horrid, just horrid
Hopefully, the Dallas coaching staff will watch the Evil Arron Rodgers dispatch the 49's, perhaps they
might learn how to alter their game play:
When you game plan is not working-Change It!
I would like to go with your picks, but I've learned never to bet against
Mahomes
The Evil Aaron Rodgers (The Cowboy Killer)
Mr. Brady. especially when the other Quarterback: Stafford is pron to meltdowns
Burrows cannot dazzle you with his passes if (RB) Derrick Henry and other Titans will not let him have the ball.
Irwin
Well-known Member
- Location
- Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Here are the Guardian's picks:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/21/nfl-divisional-round-predictions-cncinnati-bengals
I picked the Rams and the Bills to emerge victorious. We shall see!
Bengals over Titans
Packers over 49ers
Buccaneers over Rams
Chiefs over Bills
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/21/nfl-divisional-round-predictions-cncinnati-bengals
I picked the Rams and the Bills to emerge victorious. We shall see!