Part 2 from NYTimes, annotated by lethe200 in italics
The Weekend’s Top Performers
Top Passer: Patrick Mahomes
Passing was cool again this week. While the four wild-card games produced a total of six passing TDs, this weekend’s action had 16 in the same number of games, with Mahomes contributing five. His statistics were eye-popping, but the fact that he did not give up when his team was down by 24-0 was even more impressive.
Despite the justified hoopla on Lamar Jackson (yes, I loved watching him too), I expected Mahomes to be even better this year than his MVP season. He was indeed terrific, and once the KC D developed into a decent D the Chiefs improved their 2019 season. Travis Kelce is one of the two best TEs in the NFL and one of the most exciting players to watch on the field. Mahomes threw for over 900 yds more than Jackson, despite missing 2 games in 2019.
Most notably, Jackson’s performance in the Titans game showed where Mahomes is superior. Jackson’s good at throwing off-balance – but Mahomes is better than any QB I’ve ever seen at throwing from any angle or position. His reaction time and field of vision is unreal. I’ve seen him make completions that no other QB could, and that’s after 55 yrs of watching the NFL. And he’s only 24 yrs old!
Top Runner: Derrick Henry
Tennessee passed the ball far more than people realize during the regular season, but for the playoffs, they trust in Henry. His 195 rushing yds was the ninth-highest total in a playoff game since at least 1950, and resulted in his breaking the Titans-Oilers franchise playoff record for a second consecutive week. He also threw his first career TD pass.
Top Receiver: Davante Adams
Choosing between Adams and KC’s Travis Kelce is nearly impossible, as both had huge days, but Adams gets the nod because of how vital he was to GB’s victory. He accounted for 66 percent of Aaron Rodgers’s passing yds, caught both of the team’s TD passes and had a crucial 32-yds catch late in the fourth quarter to help ice the win. Kelce was as productive, but he had far more help.
One* Sentence About the Divisional Games (*Except when it takes more)
49ers 27, Vikings 10 SF’s commitment to the hot hand at RB is extreme: Tevin Coleman led the 49ers with 102 rushing yds and two TDs on Saturday after not having had more than 40 yds in any game since Week 8, when he had 105 rushing yds and four total TDs. Will Coleman get the ball again next week? Will Raheem Mostert? Is it Matt Breida’s turn? Not even they know.
Aaron Rodgers will be burning to make amends for the thrashing the Niners gave the Pack in Week 10. Plus his friends and family will be there again – he’s a “local boy” and desperately wanted to be drafted by the Niners, who took Alex Smith instead (and yes, all Niners fans cheered when the owners finally dumped that set of front office idiots).
Jimmy G. didn’t show well in the game but his most obvious error, the interception by the Vikes’ Kendrick, was called a “miscommunication” by the HC. Although JG shouldered the error, I really wondered about that. The throw was supposed to go to #19, Deebo Samuels, a talented but rookie WR who has made some noticeable errors this year in Shanahan’s VERY complex offense (it’s commonly said it takes 3 yrs to learn this offense). The Niners are in Year 2 of Shanahan’s playbook, which is why everyone expected 2020 to be the Niners’ playoff year, not the 2019 season.
Shanahan – like most good offensive coaches – runs a variant of Bill Walsh’s original West Coast offense. For passing plays it is based on the number of steps the QB takes, then throws – NOT to a receiver, but to a specific spot on the field.
But if you look at some of the video, Samuels has indeed turned around to look for the ball – but he’s 10 yds further down the field. I’m suspecting JG took the blame for the mistake so the media wouldn’t jump all over Samuels, especially after he later lost the ball on a fumble. I think Samuels wasn’t in the place he was supposed to be. If you want to call that a miscommunication, you could. But I’m not so sure it was JG’s fault.
Titans 28, Ravens 12 Ryan Tannehill threw for fewer than 100 yds for a second consecutive week, but it would be inaccurate to say that Tennessee’s second win of the playoffs was all Derrick Henry’s doing. Tannehill, playing in his second career playoff game, contributed two passing TDs — one of which went for 45 yds — and also ran for a score.
It's now a debate on the boards whether Harbaugh was right to rest his starters in the season’s last game. You want your players healthy and keep the risk low of getting hurt – but the Ravens looked rusty and uncoordinated from the very start.
OC Greg Roman did well most of the year, but flopped in this game. We’re familiar with him from SF and frankly, we don’t miss him. He’s a buddy of the Harbaughs and has followed them around the league. He has some good ideas, but then he clings to them too long and doesn’t adjust – a one-trick pony who just keeps changing from one trick to the next.
Jackson was undermined by his receivers dropping passes (6 total) plus Jackson’s first interception was a deflection off the hands of his TE Andrews. WR Seth Roberts had two drops: one a surefire first down, and the other a potential TD. He had the dropsies in Oakland, too; he just doesn't seem to be able to get over them despite 5 yrs in the league.
I’m not a fan of either Harbaugh as HCs. They are like Method actors; they only see one way to solve a problem. If it doesn’t work they just try it again later. RB Mark Ingram being injured meant the Titans D could concentrate on Jackson, flooding the edges so he couldn’t pick up run yds. Even the bland TV announcers didn’t understand Harbaugh’s terrible play calling with the QB sneak on the two 4-and-1 downs. The Titans D were teeing off on Jackson all day. WTH made Harbaugh think Jackson would succeed even once – but TWICE? Dumb is the only word to describe it.
Packers 28, Seahawks 23 Seattle saw its season end, but not before the 33-year-old Marshawn Lynch, who unretired, contributed three rushing TDs in the playoffs, and one in the regular-season finale. He still has what it takes to be a goal-pick back if he wants to play another season.
All of us in Oakland CA love Lynch and are only sorry he still feels allegiance to the Seahawks, LOL. Despite his dour, “boyz in the hood” persona, Lynch is one of the shrewder and thoughtful athletes around. Unlike many NFL’ers he is conservative with his earnings. He’s generous to charitable causes, especially local ones. RBs have short careers because they get the most worn-down by football’s physicality. His year off (he also keeps in excellent condition, unlike many) means if he wants to play one more year, there is probably a team who needs him.
This may be Rodgers’ last chance for a second SB ring. GB has less $$$ to spend than the other 31 teams on FA, so attrition keeps whittling down the talent pool. Can they beat the Niners? If the Niners Front Four on D are healthy, probably not. He got sacked 6x in the Week 12 loss.
And Niner DC Robert Saleh will have a point to prove after being passed over for the Browns HC job. Yes, all of us Niner fans are relieved, but nobody seems to understand what the Browns are thinking to hire what's-his-name. No wonder all that player talent goes to waste, LOL.
Chiefs 51, Texans 31 Houston tied for its second-most points in a game this season and still lost by 20, which says a lot about how incredible the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes’s offense is when everything is clicking.
In less than two quarters KC scored six consecutive TDs to reel off 41 straight points, making the score 41-24. The Chiefs scored so many times in such a short period they ran out of fireworks, which the team deploys after every TD. Mahomes finished with 321 yds on 23 of 35 passing and five TDs.
The normally reliable (and fast) Tyreek Hill and the KC receiving corps looked rusty after a bye week. They’ll need to ramp up against one of the best defenses next week. KC took advantage of Houston getting rattled. The Titans won’t make it so easy – but it’s a good bet the Chiefs will be looking for revenge for that 35-32 loss Week 10 in Tennessee. KC’s record in 2019 was 5 wins, 3 losses at home, so the odds favor them.
