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Wild Card
Tennessee Titans

Kansas City Chiefs

Tennessee TitansTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Getting over the hump of the Colts was big for this team. It was a key Monday night win after a loss to the Dolphins that kind of righted the ship for this group. The Titans hadn't beaten the Colts since 2011 either, so getting that monkey off their back was nice.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
Marcus Mariota. He was downright bad at times during the regular season, but you saw signs of the old Marcus coming back around over the last few weeks. A strong playoff campaign would likely mean the Titans going ahead and locking him up.
Who’s the player on your team who nobody knows but will?
Jayon Brown. The rookie linebacker doesn't start, but the Titans use him on passing downs to utilize his speed. He's a key defender on key downs for this team.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
It's still Mariota. We've seen this team try to operate without him and it was pretty ugly. For an offense that has struggled to run the ball, they can't afford to trot out Matt Cassel.
Which team scares you the most?
The Steelers. They can beat you with a couple of superstar offensive playmakers. The Titans just don't have anyone to match up with them, as you saw earlier this season.
Anyone can beat your team if…
...you stop the Titans from running the ball. This staff has proved that it isn’t going to get away from pounding the rock. When the run game doesn't work, Mariota presses. When Mariota presses, turnovers happen and the Titans lose.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Nashville is absolutely booming. As we saw with the Predators' run to the Stanley Cup, this city is filled with celebrities who are more than willing to get behind a pro team in this city.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because …
Mike Mularkey and Terry Robiskie evolved and tailored the offense to Marcus Mariota.
What's your team's playoff curse?
I'm not sure they have a specific curse; it may just be simply getting there. The Titans haven't been to the playoffs since 2008, but they've been agonizingly close a couple of times.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The Titans haven't won a postseason game since Jan 3, 2004.
Want more Titans coverage? Come fan with us at Music City Miracles
Kansas City ChiefsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
When the Chiefs lost to the then 2-win Giants, it showed us they could lose to anyone.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs? The first time CB Marcus Peters can be extended is after this season. He has earned it.
Who’s the player on your team who nobody knows but will?
LB Reggie Ragland is a run-stopping force up the middle of the defense.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
RB Kareem Hunt
Which team scares you the most?
The Steelers
Anyone can beat your team if …
...they stop Kareem Hunt.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
We already have the tailgating practice.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because …
Alex Smith rose to the occasion.
What's your team's playoff curse?
The Chiefs have one playoff win in the last two decades.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The Chiefs haven’t been past the divisional round since the 1993 season.
Want more Chiefs coverage? Come fan with us at Arrowhead Pride
Tennessee Titans
22-21 Titans
vs Kansas City Chiefs
How the Titans overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Chiefs, 22-21, in the Wild Card Round
The Tennessee Titans looked awful in the first half but came to life in the third quarter to dig their way out of a 21-3 halftime hole and defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, 22-21, on Saturday.
It was the first postseason victory for the Titans in 14 years, and they became the first road team since 1957 to overcome an 18-point, second-half deficit to win.
The Titans will have to wait until Sunday to find out where they’re headed next week after advancing. If the Jacksonville Jaguars win, Tennessee will travel to face the New England Patriots. But if the Buffalo Bills come away with a victory, it’ll be a road game for the Titans against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If Tennessee plays the way it did in the second half and avoids the pitfalls that led to a slow start, the Titans may be able to do some damage next weekend. Here’s how they fell behind and then managed to pull off the come-from-behind victory Saturday:
Alex Smith was efficient and mistake-free in the 1st half
The Chiefs’ quarterback gets knocked for struggling to make the big plays sometimes, but one things he rarely does is lose a game for his team. He has just one multi-interception game in the last two seasons, and he avoided throwing any to the Titans on Saturday.
His most impressive moment came at the end of the first half when he led the Chiefs down the field on a nine-play, 79-yard drive that was capped with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson with three seconds left in the half.
By halftime, the Chiefs had a 21-3 lead, and Smith had one of the most impressive starts to a game in his entire career.
Most of the big plays for the Chiefs’ offense were short passes from Smith that turned into something more, but even in those cases, the quarterback did what he could to contribute. On one play, he even blocked linebacker Wesley Woodyard to help spring Tyreek Hill for a first down.
But all those good tidings came to a screeching halt at halftime. In the first 24 minutes of the second half, he had just 11 yards passing and couldn’t lead the Chiefs to first downs, let alone points.
Even when Adoree’ Jackson muffed a punt to set Kansas City up with great field position, the Chiefs did nothing with it.
Smith finished the game with 264 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. That’s a strong stat line, but not when you consider that he already had 231 yards and two touchdowns at halftime.
His contract runs through the 2018 season, but the Chiefs can save $17 million by releasing him. With Kansas City not doing anything with four trips to the playoffs in the last five years, it looks like it’s time for Patrick Mahomes, who was drafted with the No. 10 pick in the 2017 draft.
Marcus Mariota did enough in the second half
This was not a good year for the No. 2 pick from the 2015 NFL draft. There’s still reason to be concerned about Mariota’s development after he finished his third year in the league with 13 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 79.3 passer rating after finishing with a rating over 90 in his first two years.
It looked like more of the same early Saturday when he finished the first two quarters with no touchdowns and one interception. It led to a huge hole for the Titans to dig out of.
He finally managed to get the Titans rolling and back in striking range in the third quarter when he threw a touchdown to himself.
That play proved to be a turning point for the Titans, swinging momentum in Tennessee’s favor.
Derrick Henry closed the gap further with a 35-rushing touchdown, and Mariota finally gave the Titans a lead when he found Eric Decker for a 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Mariota finished with 205 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception and played with toughness in the second half, even springing Henry on a game-clinching run by throwing a key block.
The Titans’ slow start wasn’t all Mariota’s fault
If the Titans hope to get Mariota on track and off to a fast start next week, the offense around him needs to do him more favors.
On one scoring opportunity, he was annihilated by Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson, who had a free path to the quarterback because Henry completely missed his block.
On Mariota’s interception, he threw into traffic, which was hard not to do when three receivers were all in the same place.
Referee Jeff Triplette explains his forward progress calls Saturday night
There were two questionable forward progress calls that made up what I’m seeing termed as the “Forward Progress Game” on Saturday evening.
The first came late in the second quarter on third-and-4 when Derrick Johnson sacked Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota. I am someone who is generally not in favor of calling out referees, but this one was bad.
Mariota clearly fumbled the football, and Justin Houston picked it up and would have been off to the races.
But referee Jeff Triplette blew the play down for a stoppage of forward progress. Andy Reid couldn’t challenge because of that ruling.
“The ruling was forward progress,” Triplette said after the game, “therefore it is not reviewable in that situation. The defender hit him and he was driving him back.”
The follow-up question: Does the quarterback have to go forward first to do that?
“No.”
Later in the game there was another questionable forward progress call on a two-point conversion attempt. Daniel Sorensen got to Mariota and would have returned the ball 58 yards and actually given the Chiefs a one-point lead, similar to what we saw last year in Atlanta with Eric Berry.
Here’s Triplette: “Forward progress. He turned him around once and turned him around a second time and kept driving him back. You just rule forward progress at that point. Play is over.”
The follow-up question: And you guys are saying that the whistle came before the fumble?
“Correct.”
I thought this call was better than the first, but still no doubt questionable.
This part may make you even madder. As it turned out, that was Triplette’s final game as a referee.
Good for Jeff Triplette. Progressing forward with his life. Congrats Jeff!
NFL Playoffs: Titans complete the comeback, beat Chiefs 22-21 at Arrowhead to advance
Your Tennessee Titans are moving on to the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. They just took down the Chiefs at Arrowhead, behind a strong performance from Derrick Henry, Marcus Mariota and the defense.
Here’s how it played out.
Both teams missed opportunities for big plays on their first drives. It was Tyreek Hill dropping a go route, who had beaten Adoree Jackson down the field. For Tennessee it was Marcus Mariota misfiring on an out-post to Corey Davis, which would have moved the sticks and gained a chunk of yardage.
After trading punts and feeling each other out, the Chiefs connected on one of those big plays. Tyreek Hill turned a short catch into a field flipper, putting the Chiefs in Titans’ territory. Travis Kelce got lost in the zone on the next play, putting Kansas City on the goal line. Kareem Hunt capped the drive two plays late to give the Chiefs an early 7-0 lead.
The Titans wouldn’t be able to answer either. An unnecessary roughness call on Ben Jones coupled with a run for nothing on 2nd and 20 doomed the drive before it began.
Tennessee punted back to the Chiefs and they mashed on the gas. Alex Smith hit a strike over the middle to Kelce to put Kansas City up 14-0 before the first quarter ended.
It was another classic sleepy Titans start, just as we have seen all year.
After an Eric Decker drop and another Titans’ punt, the defense finally got a stop. They sniffed out a couple of screens to force the Chiefs to punt for the first time.
For the first time all night, the Titans had something working offensively. Mariota went into the no-huddle and moved into Kansas City territory, but ended the drive with a crushing interception. That was a tough pill to swallow. A touchdown there could have gotten the Titans back in the thick of this one.
Dick LeBeau’s defense came through again though, forcing another punt. The Titans stuck with what worked before, getting downfield again after big grabs from Delanie Walker and Corey Davis. A sack from a delayed blitz would end that progress though.
Mariota appeared to fumble during the sack, but the referees (oddly) ruled forward progress. Ryan Succop nailed a 49 yard field goal to get the Titans on the board.
On the following drive, Johnathan Cyprien delivered a huge hit on Kelce, forcing him off the field. Kelce appeared to fumble, but the league wasn’t interested in reviewing it. It was with under two minutes remaining in the half, so it was on the referees to stop play.
That didn’t happen, so the drive continued. Kansas City took advantage. The immediately got across mid-field with a couple of passes to Demarcus Robinson. A few plays later, Smith hit Robinson for the score with three seconds left in the half.
Crushing.
The Chiefs led 21-3 at halftime.
Finally, the Titans found the endzone. They put together a long drive behind the legs of Derrick Henry, but capped it off in an interesting way. It was Marcus Mariota throwing.... to Marcus Mariota for the score. No, really.
With that incredible moment, the Titans pulled back to within 11.
Tennessee coupled that with a stop on defense. Suddenly things were looking up. The Chiefs punted back to the Titans, but Adoree’ Jackson muffed the punt, killing any momentum that the Titans might have had.
One more time, the defense held for the Titans. Harrison Butker missed a field goal after a quick three and out, so nothing came of the Jackson fumble.
Mariota got the ball back and really looked comfortable in the pocket. The third year quarterback quickly worked the ball down the field, even converting a key 3rd and 10 to Walker. Derrick Henry broke a 35 yard run to bring the Titans right back in this one.
A failed two point conversion kept the Chiefs lead at 21-16.
Once more, the Titans got the stop they needed. Mariota took over and went to work. He converted a 3rd and 8 on the ground when the Titans had to have it. The drive continued with Henry grinding out nine yards.
Then a screen pass to Decker that went nowhere set up a massive 3rd down. Why Robiskie went away from Henry there, I’ll never know.
Luckily, Marcus hit Jonnu Smith to convert. A couple plays later, Mariota hit Decker on a rope to hand the Titans the lead. The two point conversion was no good, but the Titans led 22-21 with six minutes to play.
Still yet, Kansas City needed just a field goal to regain the lead. Alex Smith went to work, looking for the Chiefs’ first points in the second half. With Kelce out of the game, Smith turned to Demetrius Harris in crunch time. He converted 3rd and 4 to keep the Chiefs alive at mid-field with three minutes to play.
The Titans would tighten things up though and force another 3rd and long. Smith needed nine yards, but was sacked. That set up 4th and 9, but Smith was unable to convert.
Tennessee took over with a little over two minutes to play and Derrick Henry immediately picked up a 1st down. Henry gave us all a scare with a near fumble, but he was ruled down after further review.
Derrick Henry converted 3rd and 10 to ice this one, stemming off of a key block from Mariota. What an incredible performance from both.
Henry finished with 23 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown. It was the run game that took this one over and sent the Titans ahead. That’s a big development.
The Titans now await either the Patriots or the Steelers next weekend.
Buffalo Bills

Jacksonville Jaguars

Buffalo BillsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Buffalo started hot with a 5-2 record including a win over the Falcons in Atlanta, but three straight losses had the team reeling. A win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead really made folks believe the team could compete for a playoff spot.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
E.J. Gaines was acquired from the Rams as part of the trade for Sammy Watkins and has played well all season. If he can stay on the field in the playoffs, he’s a difference-maker entering free agency.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Wide receiver Deonte Thompson was released by the Bears earlier this year but has a great chemistry with Tyrod Taylor and has taken over as the Buffalo receiver who plays the most snaps. He’s had several big catches this season.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
LeSean McCoy is the engine of the Bills offense, and with Mike Tolbert as the only running back with game experience behind him, Buffalo would be dead in the water without Shady.
Which team scares you the most?
The Bills shouldn’t be scared of anyone. They are in the postseason for the first time since Bill Clinton was president. The Steelers offense will present the biggest challenge for the Bills defense, but if we play them, it means we’ve won a playoff game.
Anyone can beat your team if…
...they protect the football. Buffalo’s offense isn’t great, and short fields or defensive points really help the cause.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Oh my God, Buffalonians will burn down the city celebrating. The four ‘90s-era Super Bowl losses, the 17-year playoff drought, and the city’s 50-year championship drought have primed the pump.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because …
God wanted the Bills to win. The offense isn’t good enough to do it under Rick Dennison and the defense is old and slow in spots, so if they win it’s divine intervention or a hot streak from Taylor heretofore unseen.
What's your team's playoff curse?
I know you’re asking the same questions to everyone, but I’m not sure I want to answer this. Four Super Bowl losses, a 17-year playoff drought, and a 50-year championship drought in Western New York is enough to make anyone feel cursed.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
We already broke the only streak that matters to most Bills fans by making the playoffs. Of course we want to win the Super Bowl, but really we are happy to be in the postseason and relevant again.
Want more Bills coverage? Come fan with us at Buffalo Rumblings
Jacksonville JaguarsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Blowing the Steelers out Week 5. We knew the Jaguars defense was good, but even with 10 sacks against Houston it was still eye-opening to watch them totally dominate a team like Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
I'd be hard-pressed to say anyone other than Blake Bortles. He might have earned the fifth-year option so far, but a playoff run could earn him a new deal.
Who’s the player on your team who nobody knows but will?
Shockingly Yannick Ngakoue is still not talked about much while being probably the team’s best pure pass rusher. He has 2.5 less sacks than Calais Campbell, but nearly half of them are strip sacks.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Campbell. The Jaguars have a load of talent on the defensive line, but Campbell is the key that unlocks everything else.
Which team scares you the most?
The Chargers. It was a tough game the first time that the Jaguars probably should have lost. Philip Rivers seems to always put up huge numbers against the Jaguars and their defense is set up perfectly to stifle the offense.
Anyone can beat your team if …
You get a lead and force Bortles into obvious passing situations. Each time this team has been behind and Bortles has to bring them back, they've lost.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
It would be the least expected. C’mon, a Blake Bortles-led Super Bowl parade?
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because …
The suffocating defense.
What's your team's playoff curse?
The last time the Jaguars went deep, they lost to the Titans for the third time.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
A decade-long playoff winless drought.
Want more Jaguars coverage? Come fan with us at Big Cat Country
Buffalo Bills
10-3 Jaguars
vs Jacksonville Jaguars
All the highlights from Jaguars’ 10-3 win over the Bills in the Wild Card Round
The AFC side of the Divisional playoffs is set thanks to the Jaguars first playoff victory since 2008. Jacksonville ultimately made fewer mistakes than Buffalo to win a 10-3 battle of attrition, prolonging its season by at least one more week. The win means the Jags will advance to face the Steelers in Pittsburgh — the same place they walloped Ben Roethlisberger’s team in a 30-9 Week 5 rout.
That will leave the Titans — the AFC’s other Wild Card winner — with a tough task next weekend. Tennessee has never escaped Foxborough with a win. You’d have to dive all the way back to 1993, when the franchise was still the Houston Oilers, in order to dig up a victory in New England.
So how did we get here? Here’s a look back at Sunday’s action.
Recap
It wasn’t a good game, but Sunday’s AFC Wild Card showdown was probably better than you think.
Huge plays
Losing Tyrod Taylor to a potential concussion effectively squashed the Bills’ comeback hopes.
Doug Marrone failed to challenge a blatantly bad spot that benefited the Bills, but it didn’t matter in the long run.
An 18-play, error filled scoring drive pretty much summed up Sunday’s game in a nutshell. A long, tedious nutshell.
Silly highlights
The game’s leading rusher, Blake Bortles, trucked a terrified cameraman. This may have been the top highlight in a one-touchdown game.
Play-by-Play
Final: Jaguars 10, Bills 3
Jaguars 10, Bills 3: Peterman’s next two passes: an intentional grounding call and a Jalen Ramsey interception. The Bills no longer have life.
Jaguars 10, Bills 3: Peterman’s first two plays: a sack-avoiding scramble that converted a key 4th-and-3, then a 14-yard completion to Thompson. The Bills still have life.
Jaguars 10, Bills 3: Taylor’s third-and-5 scramble ended in disaster as Dante Fowler threw him violently to the turf, bouncing his head off the playing surface in the process. Rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman, he of the five-interception half earlier in the season, will take his place in the lineup.
Jaguars 10, Bills 3: Buffalo held the home team to a three-and-out, giving it one last chance to tie the game. The Bills have 1:51 left and zero timeouts to go 63 yards and knot this game at 10-10.
Jaguars 10, Bills 3: With this 18-yard scramble:
Blake BY GOD Bortles became this team’s leading rusher.
Jaguars 10, Bills 3: Buffalo was moving into Jaguar territory when Marrone finally saw a play he could challenge — but just barely. The Jacksonville coach got his flag out onto the field just before the Bills could lock in an 11-yard gain on 2nd-and-10. Officials ruled Charles Clay stepped out of bounds before making his catch, negating the play and forcing Buffalo into third-and-long.
Myles Jack came up with the biggest play of his NFL career on the next play, sacking Taylor to pressure the Bills into a punt.
Jaguars 10, Bills 3: Jacksonville’s ensuing drive wasn’t especially useful or interesting, but it did give us this:
Godspeed, CBS cameraman.
Jaguars 10, Bills 3: A terrible spot gave the Bills an important first down at midfield, and Jags head coach Doug Marrone declined to challenge the call despite it happening just a few feet from him on the Jacksonville sideline.
Fortunately for Marrone, his lack of a challenge didn’t matter. Buffalo’s next three plays gained just four yards before the team was forced to punt. There’s only 11:18 left in the game, and another long touchdown drive could seal the Jaguars first playoff win since 2007.
Third quarter: Jaguars 10, Bills 3
Jaguars 10, Bills 3: Blake Bortles isn’t doing much in the passing game, but he’s been able to gash the Bills on the ground to put his team in the lead. The embattled quarterback has been more effective than tailback Leonard Fournette, scrambling to daylight throughout a 14-play, 86-yard drive that finally snapped this game’s touchdown drought.
But it was Bortles’ arm that found the end zone. His 4th-and-goal play-action pass from inside the 1-yard line hit Ben Koyack on the numbers and gave Jacksonville its first lead of the afternoon. That 8:52 drive made short work of the third quarter, forcing a Buffalo response in the fourth.
Bills 3, Jaguars 3: Micah Hyde’s day may be done as he’s headed to the locker room to be examined for a possible concussion. He may not have appreciated the reception from the Jacksonville fans on his way, squirting the first row with his water bottle as he walked to the tunnel.
Bills 3, Jaguars 3: LeSean McCoy’s 25-yard run is now your longest play of the game. The Bills followed this up with a dropped catch, a -2 yard run, and a third-down throwaway before punting.
Two second half drives. Two punts. Hooray football!
Halftime: Bills 3, Jaguars 3
Bills 3, Jaguars 3: The Bills could have run out the clock on the second quarter — or even put together a drive to close out the half with some points — but Deonte Thompson’s drop would prove costly.
That helped give the Jags the ball at their own 47 yard line with 40 seconds left and two timeouts. A Blake Bortles scramble pushed his team 20 yards downfield and served as the biggest play of the game for either team. Two plays later, he’d avoid Buffalo pressure for another 12 yards and a spot just outside the red zone. His hot streak wouldn’t last, however. He’d give up a costly sack that shut the door on his team’s touchdown hopes. Josh Lambo would even the score at 3-3 with a 44-yard field goal just before time could expire on the half.
Bills 3, Jaguars 0: a Taylor third-down scramble — and a late hit from Yannick Ngakoue — gave the Bills their best field position of the day.
One play later, the Buffalo QB would completely overthrow an open Nick O’Leary in the end zone to keep this game scoreless, but his scrambles would keep the Bills moving forward. He’d push his team all the way to the three before ceding the field to kicker Steven Hauschka — but a costly offsides penalty would turn 4th and 1 to 1st and goal from inside the two-yard line.
But the Bills weren’t content to allow the Jaguars be the only team to march backward from scoring position. An offensive pass interference call and aborted Taylor run moved the team back to the 13-yard line. The drive came to a merciful end when Steven Hauschka kicked a 31-yard field goal to give his team a 3-0 advantage.
Bills 0, Jaguars 0: Jacksonville got the defensive play that could be the catalyst it needs. Myles Jack’s coverage popped a Taylor pass into the air, and Aaron Colvin pulled it down to give the Jaguars the ball at the BUF 35. It’s the first possession either team has had in their opponents’ territory.
The Jags capitalized in true Jacksonville fashion -- by gaining -3 yards and punting from the 38.
Bills 0, Jaguars 0: Blake Bortles just missed a wide open receiver on third-and-6. So far, this game is fulfilling every expectation a Bills-Jaguar game would suggest.
First quarter: Bills 0, Jaguars 0
Bills 0, Jaguars 0: A game defined by weak offensive performances early on started to turn thanks to some nifty passing from Taylor. The Bills quarterback was able to avoid the Jacksonville pass rush and string together a 45-yard drive, but that only pushed Buffalo to midfield — and led to our fifth straight punt of the afternoon.
Bills 0, Jaguars 0: This showdown between Tyrod Taylor and Blake Bortles has started right on schedule — with a pair of opening-drive punts. Bortles’ perfect postseason passing streak lasted upwards of one minute before crashing back to the Florida swampland.
The Bills’ second drive matched the Jaguars’ opening three-and-out...but only by a fraction of a yard.
Another Jags punt minutes later gave this game all the making of a pitcher’s duel. In 10 minutes of play, the two teams combined for twice as many punts (four) as first downs (two).
Despite this being the team’s first playoff appearance since 2000, Bills fans are treating Sunday’s Wild Card showdown like any other game — by putting each other through tables. Even Bill Cowher got into the action.
Before the game
It’s been 18 years since 1999, which happened to be the last season the Buffalo Bills made the postseason and the last time the Jacksonville Jaguars won their division. That is now in the past as both teams head to the AFC Wild Card Round to compete for a chance to get one step closer to the Super Bowl.
This matchup marks the second time these teams have met in the postseason, the first of which was back in 1996 during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs with the Jaguars winning, 30-27. Buffalo, on the other hand, leads the all-time series 8-7, winning the most recent competition, 28-21, in Week 12 of the 2016 season.
The Bills had three players selected to the 2018 Pro Bowl, including safety Micah Hyde, guard Richie Incognito, and running back LeSean McCoy. A snub from the Buffalo roster was linebacker Preston Brown, who led the league with a career-high 144 tackles, marking more than 100 tackles in each of his four seasons in the NFL. Jacksonville one-upped Buffalo, and landed four players on the Pro Bowl roster, including cornerbacks A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey, and defensive linemen Calais Campbell and Malik Jackson.
It should be no surprise that all four of the Jaguars’ Pro Bowl players are on the defensive side of the ball. The team led the NFL with seven defensive scores, with linebacker Telvin Smith claiming two of those touchdowns. Jacksonville also boasts two of the top sack artists in the AFC with Campbell leading the conference with 14 1⁄2 sacks, and Yannick Ngakoue tying for third in the conference with 12 sacks.
Both teams will be more than motivated to find some momentum in the postseason, and as teams who rarely find themselves in this spot, will work like hell to stay in the playoff race for a while.
Pregame reading
- With Wild Card Weekend the first step on the road to a spot in the Super Bowl, here’s the rest of the path to the championship matchup.
- Jacksonville opened as 8.5-point favorites over the Bills.
- As McCoy was carted off the field in Week 17, things looked bleak for him to bounce back in time for this weekend’s matchup, but there’s still a chance he suits up.
- This won’t be the first time these two teams meet, and this time, the Bills offense has a few more weapons:
- While the Jaguars’ strong suit is on defense, the offense was off (even by their standards) in last week’s season finale:
- The Bills ended a 17-season postseason drought thanks to a win over the Dolphins, and the Bengals claiming a late-game win over the Ravens:
Bills Mafia turned up big time to tailgate and broke every table in sight
Bills fans weren’t going to miss their first playoff game since the 1999 season, and even though it meant going to Jacksonville, they turned up and went full Bills.
Diving through tables is a rite of passage — and we’ll get back to more of these — but let’s appreciate just how many fans flooded the EverBank Field parking lot.
Okay, now we’ve given them props, lets get back to the tables. We know that’s why you’re here.
It’s nice to see that even though the Bills and Jags are competitors on Sunday, they share a common belief.
Please be safe, y’all.
Bills fans are so pumped even kids are jumping through tables
The drought for Bills fans has been long, and if you’re a kid you’ve gone your entire life without seeing them in the playoffs. That ends today.
Playoff games for Bills fans don’t come along every day, so we’ll allow it. Really this is just spectacular. I’m not one to pick sides in this battle, but I’m just saying that I haven’t seen any children who are Jags fans jump through tables — yet.
Time to up your game, Jacksonville.
Wild Card
Atlanta Falcons

Los Angeles Rams

Atlanta FalconsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
The loss to the Dolphins, honestly, and not for the better. In a playoff season you’d love to have that magical moment where your favorite team figures everything out and wins out, the way Atlanta did in 2016. Instead, the Falcons showed us with their horrible, error-ridden loss to an inferior Miami team that they were not going to transition smoothly back into a juggernaut this year. That has led them to their current situation.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
If the Falcons make it, I’d bet on Grady Jarrett. He had three sacks in last year’s Super Bowl and has quietly been one of the nastiest defensive tackles in the NFL this season, and there’s no reason he can’t eat in the playoffs, especially if he winds up matched up against an inferior offensive line.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Probably Ricardo Allen. He’s not a household name, but he’s an impact safety who does all the little things well and covers the middle of the field about as well as anybody in the league. He hasn’t made many big, splashy plays this year, but he’s overdue.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
It’s still Matt Ryan. The downgrade from Ryan to Matt Schaub is a scary one, and despite the lousy stats he’s put up this year, Ryan is still a great quarterback having a good season. He’s just had way too may interceptions off tipped passes.
Which team scares you the most?
On one hand, t’s the Saints, because losing to the Saints again in the playoffs would be the most crushing thing imaginable. But because I think that game is more manageable than some, I’ll go with the Minnesota Vikings, who dominated the Falcons defensively in their matchup earlier this year and are built to make a deep run.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
They can chew up drives with effective, short passing and running games. The Falcons defense has been solid all year, but when you can string together long, productive drives, you limit the offense’s chances and typically come away with points.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Atlanta’s a great city, so you know that it would be a sweet parade on that virtue alone. Also, we’ve waited 50-plus years for one, which tends to add to the flavor.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
Things finally clicked. This is a tremendously talented roster with a largely capable coaching staff at the helm, so the fact that they have struggled so often remains a bit of a marvel. They can turn it around at any time if they just stop making so many mistakes, and if they make a Super Bowl run, it’ll because they did just that.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Being the Atlanta Falcons. ‘Nuff said.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The many, many years of Super Bowl futility. They’ve broken so many other laughable streaks over the years that the Super Bowl truly is the last frontier.
Want more Falcons coverage? Come fan with us at The Falcoholic
Los Angeles RamsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
The loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11. LT Andrew Whitworth said afterward the Rams “needed adversity” to grow from as a young team. They most certainly have ever since.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
S Lamarcus Joyner. The Rams have a TON of key starters with expiring contracts. None may prove more valuable long-term beyond 2017 than Joyner, a physical and athletic defensive back who has thrived since moving from cornerback to safety under Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips.
Who’s the player on your team who nobody knows but will?
S John Johnson. Johnson was the Rams’ second third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft behind WR Cooper Kupp, meaning he’s been able to hide behind the Kupp-driven headlines all year.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Whitworth. You could also make a case for LG Rodger Saffold for similar reasons. The Rams are the only team in the NFL to start the same five offensive linemen all year, and it’s a large reason they’re in the playoffs. Now would be a bad time to change that.
Which team scares you the most?
The Carolina Panthers. They’ve won seven out of their last eight and not in the most impressive fashion...which is the worrisome part. They’re gritting out wins. A grit game against QB Cam Newton and LB Luke Kuechly? Yeah, I want no part of that.
Anyone can beat your team if…
...the Rams need a big field goal in a key moment. K Greg Zuerlein was put on IR last week. His replacement, K Sam Ficken...struggled. The Rams can’t afford to get into a back-and-forth.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
The sheer potency of the city of Los Angeles. It’s LA.
I mean c’mon...it’s LA.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because…
Sean McVay came in, rescued QB Jared Goff, and elevated RB Todd Gurley to MVP-candidate status while Phillips did what he always does as a DC.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Not making the playoffs.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
Making the playoffs again next year.
Want more Rams coverage? Come fan with us at Turf Show Times
Atlanta Falcons
26-13 Falcons
vs Los Angeles Rams
The Falcons showed how they can get back to the Super Bowl in wild card win over the Rams
It’s been an inconsistent season for the Falcons. But the team that showed up to beat the Rams 26-13 in Wild Card play looked like a team that can get back to a Super Bowl this year.
The Rams didn’t make it easy on them. Aaron Donald harassed Matt Ryan all night long. He finished with just half of a sack and one hit, but even on the plays where he didn’t take Ryan down, his presence was felt. His pressure disrupted Ryan’s timing and forced him into less-than-ideal throws.
The Falcons had to settle for field goals on four of six scoring drives. But things shifted for Atlanta in the third quarter, when they finally got a consistent ground game going. That, coupled with the defense’s success in limiting Jared Goff’s chances to hit Todd Gurley with quick, short passes let the Falcons hold on for a win.
Here’s how the Falcons got it done.
The Falcons’ defensive speed limited Todd Gurley
Gurley’s had an MVP-caliber season. So the Falcons’ best chance of success against the Rams was to take him out of the game as much as possible and force Jared Goff to make throws to win it.
Gurley was productive on the ground, with 101 yards. But Goff relies on the ability to hit Gurley with short passes to keep the offense moving, and the Falcons took Gurley essentially out of the passing game. He’s averaged 52.5 receiving yards per game this season with six touchdowns through the air. He had only four catches for 10 yards on Saturday night.
The Falcons defense is much improved this season. They finished 2017 ranked in the top 10 in both scoring and yards allowed. The speed Dan Quinn has installed on defense showed up big on Saturday.
Atlanta’s pass defense stepped up
This was most evident on the Rams’ possession right before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. The Rams had a first-and-goal from the Falcons’ 8-yard line. After a 3-yard completion on first down and an incomplete pass on second, Goff hit Tyler Higbee in the end zone, but he was blanketed and didn’t actually catch it. The touchdown was overturned on review.
Los Angeles was trailing 26-13 and had one more chance to pull within a touchdown of the Falcons. Deion Jones got away with a hold when he knocked down Goff’s pass that was intended for Sammy Watkins on fourth down. But that pretty much locked it up for the Falcons.
The speed on defense and sure, sound tackling made all the difference.
A balanced offense made it happen
Aaron Donald came after Matt Ryan relentlessly, as he does. And the best way to slow down that pressure is to establish a ground game. The Falcons were able to get some traction on the ground, especially in the third and fourth quarters. They dominated time of possession, holding onto the ball for nearly two-thirds of the matchup.
Devonta Freeman finished with 66 yards and one touchdown, despite slipping and sliding on the horrible turf conditions in the Coliseum. Tevin Coleman had 40 yards, and Julio Jones even had a nifty 13-yard end around.
Atlanta couldn’t have done this without its offensive line. Freeman even had some help on his second-quarter touchdown. Center Alex Mack physically tackled Freeman into the end zone to take a 13-0 lead.
This Falcons team has been up-and-down all year. But now they’ll go to Philadelphia to take on an Eagles team that hasn’t looked quite the same with Nick Foles behind center instead of Carson Wentz.
If this version of the Falcons shows up for the rest of the postseason, they’ll be contenders.
The top stories from the Wild Card Round
Observations from Falcons vs. Rams
They did it! The #6 seed Falcons—the plucky, grizzled underdog—went into Los Angeles and took down the #3 seed Rams in what was a wire-to-wire thrashing of arguably the best offense in the league. That victory set a franchise record, as the Falcons had never before won playoff games in back-to-back seasons. It also sets up a Divisional Round showdown with the #1 seed Philadelphia Eagles, who feature a fearsome defense but are without QB Carson Wentz.
After re-watching the game—which was a pleasure, by the way—here are some of my in-depth observations from Saturday’s impressive victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Tackling, as a whole, was incredible
Facing down the highest-scoring offense in the NFL is no small task, even for a top-10 defense like the Falcons. I have to admit, it still feels weird to type that. However, the Falcons answered the call—and excellent open-field tackling was a huge part of that success. The Rams tried their best to isolate Todd Gurley in space on nickel CB Brian Poole, and Poole stepped up in a big way.
Poole’s open-field tackles made the difference in this one, but everyone on the defense seemed to step up their game. Damontae Kazee, outside of the special teams penalty (which would have been a mighty impressive tackle, if it was legal), was making plays as a gunner. Keanu Neal was a force, as usual. We’re finally seeing some of the true potential of this unit come to life.
Matt Bryant is the ageless wonder
When the Falcons’ offense sputters, Atlanta knows they can depend upon Matt “Money” Bryant. The aging kicker has been absolutely incredible in 2017, nailing 55+ yard field goals like they were no big deal. His performance against the Rams was equally impressive—Bryant notched 4 field goals, and two from 50+ yards. That stat line makes him one of two kickers in NFL history to kick two 50+ yard FGs in a playoff game.
It’s just another accolade for one of the best kickers in the NFL. Bryant is an incredible weapon for this offense, who just need to get him within 55 yards to tack on three more points. Last year, kicking four FGs would have been a recipe for disaster—but in 2017 with a legitimate top-10 defense, the Falcons can afford to chip away at opponents and slowly build a lead. We love you, Matt Bryant. Please never leave us.
The pass defense stepped up in a big way
The Falcons’ game plan clearly revolved around limiting the damage Todd Gurley could do, and they succeeded. Outside of three long runs, Gurley was completely bottled up in the run and pass game. That forced young QB Jared Goff into 45 passing attempts, and required the Falcons’ pass defense to rise to the challenge. They did just that on the back of phenomenal performances from Robert Alford and Desmond Trufant, and an effective game from the pass rush.
Alford was a machine, breaking up passes left and right. Trufant allowed a big completion, but his coverage was perfect and he contributed several important pass breakups of his own. The pass rush was a bit hot and cold, but they made life difficult for Goff throughout the game. Beasley and Takk notched sacks early in the contest, and De’Vondre Campbell added another on a well-timed blitz. The pressure forced Goff into early throws, and helped this defense hold the Rams to 5/14 (35%) on third down.
The offense was middling, but came through in the second half
The biggest story of the 2017 season has been the lackluster play of the offense. From freak turnovers to execution errors and dropped passes, the Falcons’ offense has been a shell of its former self. The transition to Steve Sarkisian’s offense hasn’t been a particularly smooth one, and the rookie OC has drawn the ire of fans for some truly puzzling calls throughout the year. This game started off that way, with several disappointing drives and a distinct lack of red zone scoring.
However, in the second half, Sarkisian started to get this offense into a groove. The Falcons took advantage of the Rams’ depleted defensive line depth with DT Michael Brockers sidelined and pounded the rock on the ground. It wasn’t an efficient performance by Freeman and Coleman, but it was an important one—the Falcons dominated time of possession in the second half and wore down the Rams’ defense. Late in the game, Sarkisian dialed up two very impressive play calls—the screen to Sanu that went for huge yardage, and the drag route for Julio that ended in a TD—that ended up clinching the victory for Atlanta. Let’s hope we see more of that second-half offense going forward.
Despite the dominant performance, there were a few negatives
The Falcons thoroughly defeated the Rams on Saturday, never relinquishing their lead throughout the game. However, there were a few noteworthy issues that Atlanta should probably take a close look at if they want to continue their playoff success. The pass protection was abysmal at times—Ben Garland and Wes Schweitzer were regularly abused by All-World DT Aaron Donald. That’s not unexpected, but it was tough to watch Ryan under so much pressure all evening.
Quinn’s game management at the end of the first half was also terrible. That timeout he called after the Rams faced 2nd and 5 could have led to a TD. He’s lucky that it only led to three points, but Quinn must make better decisions going forward. The defense was stellar on third downs, except on 3rd and very long—which is truly bizarre. Frankly, one of those completions was just a perfect throw and catch by Goff to Woods, but the other two were preventable. Giving up 3rd and 10+ is inexcusable, and is the only negative mark I give to the defense in what was otherwise an incredible performance.
There you have it—my exhaustive thoughts on Saturday’s victory over the Rams. The Falcons now move on to face the Nick Foles-led Eagles, which led to this interesting tidbit:
What are your thoughts on the Falcons’ dismantling of the Rams? Who are some players that stood out to you during the victory? How many times have you already re-watched the game? How do you feel about facing Philadelphia next weekend?
The Falcons refuse to be defined by THAT incident they’re not supposed to talk about
LOS ANGELES –- The Atlanta Falcons players do not talk about it. They are not supposed to talk about it. That jagged arrow through their hearts, that 28-3 lead lost, those Super Bowl ashes 11 months ago when champion New England caught fire and the Falcons melted.
It colored Atlanta’s bump-and-grind maze back into the playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday here at the Coliseum. The Falcons looked locked on their promise -- that Super Bowl would not become the defeat that permanently defeats them.
But they do not talk about it.
“Well, we’re not supposed to talk about it, but I will say that we as a team, as a brotherhood, know all there is to know about taking care of today for today, about not getting ahead of ourselves and how doing that can put you in a bind,” Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said. “When you talk about the do’s and don’ts of winning, we’ve learned some lessons there in the hardest way. And through it all, we’ve leaned on each other.”
After their can-we-just-get-there-already 10-6 regular season, the Falcons were there … here in the playoffs. They arrived battle-tested, alert, resilient. It translated into a physical, fundamental, inspiring 26-13 victory over the Rams.
The Falcons looked every bit the NFC defending champions they are and every inkling of a team with one foot stomping its past while the other is planted on a mission of redemption.
They confronted the NFL’s No.-1 ranked scoring offense and squashed it.
They kept picking and prodding with their own offense until they nailed it.
They took flight on special teams and flaunted it.
These Atlanta Falcons are one step closer to Super Bowl emancipation.
This is what their season is all about -– fixing, healing the torture of the one before it. There is no denying it, even as they head next to Philadelphia. They don’t have to talk about it. It’s there. It’s evident and real. It’s an inferno within them.
They unleashed it on the Rams. Atlanta jumped to a 13-0 lead, the Rams narrowed it to 13-10 and the Falcons won the second half 13-3. The Falcons start was ignited by first-quarter fumble recoveries of both a punt and kickoff deep in Rams territory.
“That is the product of great effort,” Falcons special teams coach Keith Armstrong said. “Gang tackling. The second man in and all the rest going for the ball. Just great effort.”
The young Rams were certainly spooked by their early mistakes and for most of the game struggled offensively to find rhythm. Was it their playoff inexperience? Was it too many starters resting in the regular-season finale preceding this game?
Rams coach Sean McVay insisted afterward that this moment was not too big for his players.
At least one of them recognized the zest in the Falcons’ eyes.
”Those guys played like they have some big dreams,” Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “We didn’t do enough as a team and the mistakes hurt us. But they deserve credit for the talent and the pieces they have.”
And for the mindset.
Atlanta was forced to win against Carolina in its final regular season game to qualify for the playoffs. The Falcons knew the Rams would be rested. The Falcons planned to methodically catch up to their opponent’s freshness and speed. They hoped to keep pace early with the Rams and sustain that pace. But the Falcons accomplished more. They matched the Rams’ quickness and then surpassed it. They set the tempo. And they hit them hard all night long.
The Falcons blocked. The Falcons tackled, negating Rams potential, fancy run-after-catch plays and big yardage gains after contact, both Rams offensive staples.
Atlanta took the second-half kickoff and ran 16 plays before Matt Bryant kicked a 25-yard field goal that made it 16-10. Bryant ended the scoring in the quarter with a 54-yard field goal that made it 19-10. Atlanta won possession time in the quarter by 13:07 to the Rams’ paltry 1:53. Atlanta won overall possession time 37:35 to 22:25.
”Matt Ryan is a quarterback who can make some pretty incredible plays on third downs and more of the same even with pressure on him,” Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “He made some intelligent, incredible throws and plays at critical times.”
What was most impressive about Atlanta’s approach was the physical, fundamental nature of it. How they ran the ball 39 times compared to the Rams’ 16 attempts. How Falcons offensive linemen and especially running back Devonta Freeman kept punishing, grinding.
”There were some dogs out there on both sides tonight, some full-grown men who have no fear in this game,” Freeman said. He might have added that he was one of them.
”There was no fear,” Freeman said. “They had the extra rest. We would have been ready to play this game with three or five days’ rest. It didn’t matter. We have chemistry. We have belief.”
Brotherhood always comes up with the Falcons. It is glue that connects them. There was a moment in this game where it became more than a slogan, more than a blueprint.
Freeman scored the game’s first touchdown on a 3-yard run early in the second quarter. He was in the middle of a slew of teammates and Rams defenders about halfway there. That’s when Falcons center Alex Mack arrived, literally picked him up and driving him through into the end zone.
”I saw (tackle) Jake (Matthews) in the area, but I felt Alex,” Freeman said. “Hey, anytime you are fortunate enough to get into the end zone, you take it. Either by foot or by carrier.”
Mack said it was all instincts.
”Usually you try to mush the pile, push the pile, just try to get every inch,” Mack said. “I’d have to say that was a first for me. I came to the sidelines and everyone was saying it was a heck of a job, a great play, a real cool one.”
For these Falcons, of course it was.
They have been carrying each other since their somber Super Bowl.
It’s the only way they’ll get back.
The top stories from the Wild Card Round
Carolina Panthers

New Orleans Saints

Carolina PanthersTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
The win over the Dolphins on Monday Night Football in Week 10. Cam Newton threw four touchdown passes and rushed for 95 yards en route to a convincing 45-21 win.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
Most of Carolina’s core is already locked up long term, but left guard Andrew Norwell could find himself with several offers since he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Who’s the player on your team who nobody knows but will?
I was going to say Damiere Byrd but he was placed on IR again, so I’m going to go with wide receiver Kaelin Clay. He has speed for days and already has one punt return touchdown on the year, so he could change the outcome of a game if the opportunity arises.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Cam Newton. The Panthers won’t win a single playoff game with Derek Anderson at quarterback.
Which team scares you the most?
The New Orleans Saints are 2-0 against the Panthers this year, so by default it has to be them.
Anyone can beat your team if …
...they can make the offense one-dimensional and take away the threat of Cam Newton’s legs.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Newton’s outfit would be the talk of the parade. Plus, the team would probably arrange free Bojangles’ for everyone in attendance.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because …
The defense carried the team to victory. We can’t give Cam Newton too much credit, right?
What's your team's playoff curse?
Curse? What’s a curse? I don’t know anything about that. (The Panthers tend to crumble under the bright lights of the Super Bowl.)
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The Panthers have lost their first two Super Bowl appearances. It would be nice to see them end that losing streak with a championship victory.
Want more Panthers coverage? Come fan with us at Cat Scratch Reader
New Orleans SaintsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Going 0-2 to start the season, and then rebounding against the Panthers. It was a tremendous defensive effort and turnaround, which saw the young Saints defense put an important divisional win together in Week 3. The team went on an eight-game winning streak, and has been pretty impressive on both sides of the ball.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
It’s definitely Drew Brees. There’s a lot at stake for him, and he’s quietly had a stellar season with the Saints. Now, he’s said he doesn’t wish to play anywhere but New Orleans, and contract negotiations haven’t even been in his mind this season. The feeling is it will work itself out, but a vintage Brees performance in the postseason could speak volumes for what could be the final contract of his career.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Ken Crawley is a second-year undrafted rookie free agent out of Colorado. He’s been playing exceptionally well opposite of rookie phenom Marshon Lattimore. Teams aren’t targeting Crawley as much, and he’s another big reason why the Saints have drastically improved on defense. All he needed was an opportunity to start.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Alvin Kamara and Drew Brees come to mind on offense, but I feel that it has to be Cam Jordan. He’s finally starting to get more national attention, which is well-deserved and overdue. He does so many other things than just pressure the quarterback. Along with being a sack artist, he is extremely intelligent and has as many pass defenses (11) as Desmond Trufant, Harrison Smith, and Logan Ryan. He’s truly the leader on defense for this Saints team.
Which team scares you the most?
Many thought the Eagles would just roll over after Carson Wentz went down, but they’ve proven that Nick Foles can be that guy. They have a distinct home-field advantage over the other teams, with some pretty frigid weather to accompany them. Playing in Philadelphia will be rough for anyone that makes the NFC playoffs this year.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
They get up on the Saints early and take away their game plan. The Saints haven’t shown an ability to be a play-from-behind team this year. The loss to the Rams would probably be the perfect example of how to take it to New Orleans.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Aside being in the party center of the world? Mardi Gras is Feb. 13. So, couple that with another “Party with Lombardi” in New Orleans? I don’t think anything else needs to be said.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
The rookie class and young players made this Saints team contenders. The draft class of Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Trey Hendrickson, and Al-Quadin Muhammad have all had a hand in the team’s 2017 successes. Of course, you can’t overlook the undrafted rookies that have helped too, such as Justin Hardee, Trey Edmunds, Taysom Hill, Cameron Tom, Arthur Maulet, and Austin Carr.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Would have to say it’s playing in Seattle. That would be the worst place for the Saints to play. Of course, the 2011 playoff game against the 49ers forever haunts this team, as that squad realistically could have won another Super Bowl had it not been for Vernon Davis and Alex Smith.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
Getting back to the big show. After the 2009 season, the Saints haven’t managed to reach the conference championship since then. They’ve had three tries (2010, 2011, 2013), and have come up empty.
Want more Saints coverage? Come fan with us at Canal Street Chronicles
Carolina Panthers
31-26 Saints
vs New Orleans Saints
Saints looking for season sweep of Panthers in Wild Card meetup
The Carolina Panthers will face the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Wild Card Round on Sunday at 4:40 p.m. ET on FOX (live stream via FOX Sports Go or fuboTV). It will be the third meeting between the teams. The Saints have a 2-0 lead on the Panthers heading into the playoff matchup with 34-13 and 31-21 victories in the contests.
With the offense booming thanks to second-year wideout Michael Thomas and the running back duo of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, things have never looked brighter for the future of the Saints offense. Thomas bested 1,000 yards receiving on the season back in Week 15 and set a new franchise record for receptions in a single season with 104 in the season finale. The Panthers defense has some talent to limit the Saints offense but will have its hands full trying to stop both aspects of New Orleans’ attack.
Similarly, the Saints have some young talent on defense, including Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The rookie out of Ohio State was a first-round pick back in April, and despite some injuries keeping him out on occasion, he has made a clear case for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Quarterback Cam Newton will have to keep the Panthers run game going to create opportunities in the passing game against the Saints defense. Their best chance of racking up points will be on run plays and short screen passes that allows Newton’s receivers to make yards after the catch.
The Panthers still haven’t quite figured out how to best use some of their rookie talent like running back Christian McCaffrey. The rusher finished the regular season with 117 carries for 435 yards and two scores with the occasional breakout performance that showed glimpses of his potential. The same is true of Curtis Samuel, who despite finishing the year sidelined with an injury, failed to gain any sort of traction within the Panthers’ offense in his first season with the team.
The Saints have had the momentum heading into the second half of the season, but both the Panthers and Saints are coming off losses in Week 17.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
- Time: 4:40 p.m. ET
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.
- TV: FOX
- Streaming: FOX Sports Go | FuboTV
- Odds: The Saints opened as 2-point favorites.
Panthers vs. Saints news:
- With Wild Card Weekend the first step on the road to a spot in the Super Bowl, here’s the rest of the path to the championship matchup.
- WR Devin Funchess made the some of the most noteworthy plays for the Panthers this season.
- Just because the Saints’ offense has a lot of weapons doesn’t mean it finds success on every down.
- There was a lot not to like in last week’s Panthers’ loss — especially from Newton — but the potential is definitely there.
Panthers vs. Saints predictions:
New Orleans makes it 3-0 against the Panthers this season with a big home win over Newton’s team. Carolina will keep things close through the first half but will be unable to keep up with the Saints offense late in the game.
Check out our Wild Card Weekend picks for even more expert opinions.
Why Panthers fans should feel confident against the Saints
Ron Rivera’s T-shirts show support for Panthers players his favorite charities
When you think of Panthers fashion icons, Cam Newton and his hats probably jump to mind. But there’s an unlikely candidate sneaking into that spotlight: head coach Ron Rivera.
Style can’t be Rivera’s priority this week. He needs his Panthers to put their Week 17 loss to the Falcons behind them and do something on Sunday that they haven’t been able to pull off this season: beat the Saints.
"The big thing that we need to do more than anything else is to move forward and get past the game we just played," Rivera said via The Associated Press. "Right now that game isn't going to do anything for us."
It’s so important, in fact, that we’re surprised he hasn’t put it on a T-shirt.
Rivera has the strongest shirt game in the NFL right now, and it isn’t close. Here’s a rundown of his very best.
Rivera’s shirts give props to his players
Rivera’s shirts serve two purposes: They look dope, and they’re a clever way to support his players.
The Panthers’ receivers depth chart today looks totally different than it did at the beginning of the season. Carolina blew everyone’s minds when it shipped former first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin off to the Bills. Damiere Byrd and Curtis Samuel both landed on injured reserve.
That left Cam Newton with Devin Funchess and a whole bunch of guys you’ve never heard of in your life as targets.
NFL Network’s Good Morning Football had some fun with the receiving corps behind Funchess, making Russell Shepard, Kaelin Clay, Brenton Bersin, and Mose Frazier sound like some guys you might want to call for legal advice.
Rivera apparently got a kick out of it.
Rivera also used his time at the podium to rock a T-shirt repping tight end Greg Olsen’s foundation, The HEARTest Yard, which supports families of children who have been diagnosed with congenital heart conditions.
Olsen and his wife started the foundation in honor of their son, T.J., who was born with a serious congenital heart condition. Olsen is the Panthers’ 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year, and he’s in the running for the league award. Rivera, and even the staff at Bank of America Stadium, are campaigning for Olsen with shirts, too.
Riverboat Ron is all in for animal rescue
Rivera got his “Riverboat Ron” nickname for his gambles on the football field back in 2013, when he made a dramatic shift from being one of the most conservative coaches in the league to consistently going for it on fourth down instead of punting.
He’s embraced that persona, and he used it to raise money to help land adoptable pets forever homes through the Humane Society of Charlotte’s “Safe Bet, Adopt a Pet” initiative in 2016.
Charles Johnson and Amini Silatolu out, Terron Armstead in for Panthers-Saints
The Panthers and Saints have released their game day inactives ahead of today’s huge Wild Card showdown.
The Panthers have scratched defensive end Charles Johnson from the lineup today, and he has been replaced by Bryan Cox. Derek Anderson, who missed Friday’s practice with an illness, is active. Right guard Amini Silatolu is inactive due to Trai Turner being out of the concussion protocol, and Kevon Seymour is out due to illness.
For the Saints, they’ll get a boost on their offensive line as Terron Armstead is active. The Panthers defense will have a tougher task to get pressure on quarterback Drew Brees, which will definitely be a key to victory today for Carolina.
Below you will find the players who will not suit up for the game.
Panthers
Saints
Divisional Round
Tennessee Titans

New England Patriots

Tennessee TitansTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Getting over the hump of the Colts was big for this team. It was a key Monday night win after a loss to the Dolphins that kind of righted the ship for this group. The Titans hadn't beaten the Colts since 2011 either, so getting that monkey off their back was nice.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
Marcus Mariota. He was downright bad at times during the regular season, but you saw signs of the old Marcus coming back around over the last few weeks. A strong playoff campaign would likely mean the Titans going ahead and locking him up.
Who’s the player on your team who nobody knows but will?
Jayon Brown. The rookie linebacker doesn't start, but the Titans use him on passing downs to utilize his speed. He's a key defender on key downs for this team.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
It's still Mariota. We've seen this team try to operate without him and it was pretty ugly. For an offense that has struggled to run the ball, they can't afford to trot out Matt Cassel.
Which team scares you the most?
The Steelers. They can beat you with a couple of superstar offensive playmakers. The Titans just don't have anyone to match up with them, as you saw earlier this season.
Anyone can beat your team if…
...you stop the Titans from running the ball. This staff has proved that it isn’t going to get away from pounding the rock. When the run game doesn't work, Mariota presses. When Mariota presses, turnovers happen and the Titans lose.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Nashville is absolutely booming. As we saw with the Predators' run to the Stanley Cup, this city is filled with celebrities who are more than willing to get behind a pro team in this city.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because …
Mike Mularkey and Terry Robiskie evolved and tailored the offense to Marcus Mariota.
What's your team's playoff curse?
I'm not sure they have a specific curse; it may just be simply getting there. The Titans haven't been to the playoffs since 2008, but they've been agonizingly close a couple of times.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The Titans haven't won a postseason game since Jan 3, 2004.
Want more Titans coverage? Come fan with us at Music City Miracles
New England PatriotsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Definitely Week 5 after New England started 2-2 and the defense was the worst in the NFL. The Patriots played the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, won, and the defense has been one of the top five units in the NFL ever since.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
Dion Lewis is definitely positioning himself for a big deal, possibly even from the Patriots. He’s one of the most efficient running backs in the league and a team willing to risk injury and give him a bigger role could see a huge payoff.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Right guard Shaq Mason is the Patriots’ best offensive lineman and he’ll get attention for his incredible blocking for Lewis. He’s also pretty solid in pass protection.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Quarterback Tom Brady is an easy answer and so is tight end Rob Gronkowski. Other than those two, defensive lineman Trey Flowers is the only consistent pass rusher and edge setter, so his ability is unique on the roster.
Which team scares you the most?
The Jacksonville Jaguars because of their combination of elite defense and ability to run the football. The Patriots’ run defense is weak so the Jaguars can set up favorable second- and third-down situations, while the defense can keep it a low scoring affair.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
... the Patriots’ injuries keep adding up. The offense is without Marcus Cannon and Julian Edelman for the year, while Chris Hogan and Rex Burkhead have battled injuries. The defense doesn’t have Dont’a Hightower and has played without Trey Flowers, Alan Branch, Malcom Brown, Kyle Van Noy, and Stephon Gilmore for extended periods of time. These are all top-tier players on the Patriots roster that need to be available for New England to contend with healthier teams.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Institutional knowledge and recent parade-planning experience. Oh, and Gronkowski drinking beers.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
The Patriots were always supposed to win, but also that Brady and Bill Belichick should think about retiring and that the window is closing on New England.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Eli Manning and Bernard Pollard, neither of whom will be present in the postseason mwahahahahaha
What streak is your team hoping to break?
They haven’t won a Super Bowl since February.
Want more Patriots coverage? Come fan with us at Pats Pulpit
Tennessee Titans
35-14 Patriots
vs New England Patriots
Patriots vs Titans: Instant analysis of New England’s divisional round opponent
The New England Patriots will host the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, January 13th at 8:15 PM ET after the Titans defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 22-21 on Wild Card Weekend and the Jacksonville Jaguars held on to defeat the Buffalo Bills 10-3. The Jaguars will face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, January 14th.
The Patriots opened as ridiculous 14-point favorites. This is the 13th time in NFL history where a team has been favored by two-or-more touchdowns in the playoffs, with the most recent being the 2016 Patriots as 16-point favorites over the Houston Texans. The Patriots covered, winning 33-16.
Tom Brady and the Patriots have won their past six games against the Titans, including their most recent game in week 15 of the 2015 season, with New England winning 33-15 thanks to 51 rushing yards by Joey Iosefa (yeah, that happened). The last time the Titans defeated the Patriots was in week 15 of 2002.
The Titans finished the regular season 9-7, with a 19th ranked offense that averaged 20.9 points per game and a 17th ranked defense that averaged 22.3 points allowed per game. Quarterback Marcus Mariota had a passer rating of 79.3 and threw more interceptions (15) than touchdowns (13) on the year. No player had more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage on offense, either.
Tennessee ranked 18th in the NFL in overall DVOA as they were pretty average all season. They ranked 18th on offense, including the 20th ranked passing offense, but they also boasted the 8th ranked rushing offense thanks to the duo of DeMarco Murray (925 yards from scrimmage, first on the team) and Derrick Henry (880 yards from scrimmage, second on the team). The Patriots have struggled at stopping the run, ranking 30th in DVOA against the run, so they will have their hands full if the Titans are able to get their ground game going.
Tennessee has scored more than 24 points just three times all year, in weeks 2, 3, and 6. They’ve struggled to really put points on the board. New England has scored more than 24 points ten times this year.
The Titans defense ranked 21st in DVOA, including an awful 24th against the pass and a more impressive 7th against the run. Tom Brady and the Patriots passing offense is going to have to score early to eliminate the Titans rushing game from the equation and force Marcus Mariota to win the game with his arm and limited receiving talent.
Teams have also been able to run the ball against the Titans as of late, with Rams running back Todd Gurley gaining 276 yards from scrimmage and Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette gaining 136 yards from scrimmage in the final two weeks of the regular season.
Former Patriots on the Titans QB Matt Cassel, OG Josh Kline, and CB Logan Ryan will be welcomed back in New England.
How the Titans overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Chiefs, 22-21, in the Wild Card Round
The Tennessee Titans looked awful in the first half but came to life in the third quarter to dig their way out of a 21-3 halftime hole and defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, 22-21, on Saturday.
It was the first postseason victory for the Titans in 14 years, and they became the first road team since 1957 to overcome an 18-point, second-half deficit to win.
The Titans will have to wait until Sunday to find out where they’re headed next week after advancing. If the Jacksonville Jaguars win, Tennessee will travel to face the New England Patriots. But if the Buffalo Bills come away with a victory, it’ll be a road game for the Titans against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If Tennessee plays the way it did in the second half and avoids the pitfalls that led to a slow start, the Titans may be able to do some damage next weekend. Here’s how they fell behind and then managed to pull off the come-from-behind victory Saturday:
Alex Smith was efficient and mistake-free in the 1st half
The Chiefs’ quarterback gets knocked for struggling to make the big plays sometimes, but one things he rarely does is lose a game for his team. He has just one multi-interception game in the last two seasons, and he avoided throwing any to the Titans on Saturday.
His most impressive moment came at the end of the first half when he led the Chiefs down the field on a nine-play, 79-yard drive that was capped with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson with three seconds left in the half.
By halftime, the Chiefs had a 21-3 lead, and Smith had one of the most impressive starts to a game in his entire career.
Most of the big plays for the Chiefs’ offense were short passes from Smith that turned into something more, but even in those cases, the quarterback did what he could to contribute. On one play, he even blocked linebacker Wesley Woodyard to help spring Tyreek Hill for a first down.
But all those good tidings came to a screeching halt at halftime. In the first 24 minutes of the second half, he had just 11 yards passing and couldn’t lead the Chiefs to first downs, let alone points.
Even when Adoree’ Jackson muffed a punt to set Kansas City up with great field position, the Chiefs did nothing with it.
Smith finished the game with 264 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. That’s a strong stat line, but not when you consider that he already had 231 yards and two touchdowns at halftime.
His contract runs through the 2018 season, but the Chiefs can save $17 million by releasing him. With Kansas City not doing anything with four trips to the playoffs in the last five years, it looks like it’s time for Patrick Mahomes, who was drafted with the No. 10 pick in the 2017 draft.
Marcus Mariota did enough in the second half
This was not a good year for the No. 2 pick from the 2015 NFL draft. There’s still reason to be concerned about Mariota’s development after he finished his third year in the league with 13 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 79.3 passer rating after finishing with a rating over 90 in his first two years.
It looked like more of the same early Saturday when he finished the first two quarters with no touchdowns and one interception. It led to a huge hole for the Titans to dig out of.
He finally managed to get the Titans rolling and back in striking range in the third quarter when he threw a touchdown to himself.
That play proved to be a turning point for the Titans, swinging momentum in Tennessee’s favor.
Derrick Henry closed the gap further with a 35-rushing touchdown, and Mariota finally gave the Titans a lead when he found Eric Decker for a 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Mariota finished with 205 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception and played with toughness in the second half, even springing Henry on a game-clinching run by throwing a key block.
The Titans’ slow start wasn’t all Mariota’s fault
If the Titans hope to get Mariota on track and off to a fast start next week, the offense around him needs to do him more favors.
On one scoring opportunity, he was annihilated by Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson, who had a free path to the quarterback because Henry completely missed his block.
On Mariota’s interception, he threw into traffic, which was hard not to do when three receivers were all in the same place.
Titans at Patriots ... I never saw this coming
It’s amazing how little I actually know about anything. In four wild card games this past weekend, only one team I picked to cover (Atlanta) actually covered. The Falcons then proceeded to win the game outright, which I did not predict, prematurely ending the season for the Rams and bumming me out a little bit because we haven’t even reached the divisional round yet and both Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are both already finished.
Essentially, I went 1-3 throughout the entire wild card round, the Bills managed to cover the spread in Jacksonville while only scoring three points, and the Titans somehow shocked the Chiefs to earn a trip to Foxboro for a divisional round meeting with the Patriots. I didn’t expect any of this. What the heck happened this weekend?
So the official matchup is Pats-Titans on Saturday night, with the winner advancing to the AFC Championship game. I was completely prepared for Pats-Chiefs. Maybe even Pats-Bills. But Pats-Titans? This was the last thing I expected. If you read my wild card picks column over the weekend, you’ll recall that I didn’t give Tennessee a chance to beat Kansas City. To quote my idiot self, I wrote that Marcus Mariota “is an average quarterback at best” and that “he’s not a guy you can expect to go into a road playoff game and actually play well enough to win.” All Mariota did was rally the Titans back from an 18-point deficit, throw an inadvertent touchdown pass to himself (we’ll never see that again), and throw a crucial block for Derrick Henry on the drive that clinched the game.
I expected Mariota, who has never really done much to prove otherwise, to become extra shaky in a road playoff game, especially against a turnover-hungry defense and in one of the loudest stadiums in the league. Instead, he got better in the biggest moments of the game, and capped it off when he threw a 22-yard strike to Eric Decker for the game-winning touchdown. I’m sorry, Marcus. You proved me wrong.
At the same time, however, the Titans also won partially because the Chiefs choked away a 21-3 lead. This is what they do in the playoffs (trust me, I’m never betting on Andy Reid and Alex Smith in a playoff game ever again), so I really should’ve foreseen the possibility. But I didn’t. I never even imagined the possibility of the Titans coming to New England for the divisional round. And that’s why I’m an idiot. Again, well done, Marcus.
That being said, I wish Marcus the best of luck. As much as I counted the Titans out of their game against the Chiefs, I’m counting them out even more against the Patriots. They maxed out last week, and for a team that probably shouldn’t still be playing, a playoff game in Foxboro is just about the last place you want to find yourself. Tennessee will be lucky if they lose by less than 20 points.
I was wrong about the Titans once. I won’t be wrong about them this time.
I hope.
Jacksonville Jaguars

Pittsburgh Steelers

Jacksonville JaguarsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Blowing the Steelers out Week 5. We knew the Jaguars defense was good, but even with 10 sacks against Houston it was still eye-opening to watch them totally dominate a team like Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
I'd be hard-pressed to say anyone other than Blake Bortles. He might have earned the fifth-year option so far, but a playoff run could earn him a new deal.
Who’s the player on your team who nobody knows but will?
Shockingly Yannick Ngakoue is still not talked about much while being probably the team’s best pure pass rusher. He has 2.5 less sacks than Calais Campbell, but nearly half of them are strip sacks.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Campbell. The Jaguars have a load of talent on the defensive line, but Campbell is the key that unlocks everything else.
Which team scares you the most?
The Chargers. It was a tough game the first time that the Jaguars probably should have lost. Philip Rivers seems to always put up huge numbers against the Jaguars and their defense is set up perfectly to stifle the offense.
Anyone can beat your team if …
You get a lead and force Bortles into obvious passing situations. Each time this team has been behind and Bortles has to bring them back, they've lost.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
It would be the least expected. C’mon, a Blake Bortles-led Super Bowl parade?
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because …
The suffocating defense.
What's your team's playoff curse?
The last time the Jaguars went deep, they lost to the Titans for the third time.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
A decade-long playoff winless drought.
Want more Jaguars coverage? Come fan with us at Big Cat Country
Pittsburgh SteelersTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
The Steelers offense woke up after the bye week and has been one of the best units in the NFL since then. The offense is finally starting to live up to those preseason expectations.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
Le’Veon Bell, who is playing under the franchise tag, has done nothing short of proving he SHOULD be paid as a starting running back and a No. 2 wide receiver. He is due to cash in big-time next season.
Who’s the player on your team who nobody knows but will?
The Steelers are loaded with stars, but down the stretch watch out for TE Vance McDonald, if he can stay healthy. He was traded from the 49ers before Week 1 and has been dynamic when he has been in the lineup, but he has battled injuries this season.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
There are a lot to choose from, but I would suggest Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers have depth at WR without Antonio Brown, and Bell being injured would be a crushing blow. But the drop off from Roethlisberger to Landry Jones is precipitous.
Which team scares you the most?
Outside of the Patriots, which the Steelers wouldn’t go against until the AFC Championship game, it would be the Ravens. It is difficult to beat a team three times, and if anyone knows how to come into Heinz Field and win, it is Baltimore.
Anyone can beat your team if…
...you force the Steelers to be one-dimensional on offense. This can happen by scoring TDs against the defense and getting a lead or by neutralizing Bell. Either way, when you know the Steelers are going to throw it, they are vulnerable.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Pittsburgh is a football town. The Penguins have had back-to-back parades, but this city would go crazy with a seventh Super Bowl trophy heading back to the Steel City.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because …
The Steelers offense lived up to the hype in every sense of the word. With Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, Ben Roethlisberger and Martavis Bryant, this offense SHOULD be unstoppable.
What's your team's playoff curse?
The New England Patriots. Period.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The Steelers haven’t made it to the Super Bowl since 2010, and that is a long drought for this team. Time to break this streak and not just get back to the big game, but win it for the first time since 2009.
Want more Steelers coverage? Come fan with us at Behind the Steel Curtain
Jacksonville Jaguars
45-42 Jaguars
vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers revenge tour starts with the Jacksonville Jaguars
Well, they asked for them, and now they have them.
When Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was asked which team he wanted to play out of the AFC Wild Card round, his answer was clear — the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Roethlisberger likely wants to prove the 5-interception debacle in Week 5 was nothing more than a flash in the pan, not a sign of an opponent who has Pittsburgh’s franchise quarterback’s number.
Roethlisberger wasn’t the only player who wanted Jacksonville to win. Linebacker Vince Williams wanted a rematch with Jacksnville too.
With Jacksonville beating the Buffalo Bills, it means the Jaguars will play the Steelers at Heinz Field on Sunday, January 14th at 1:05 p.m. ET. It also means the Tennessee Titans will travel to play the New England Patriots on Saturday, January 13th.
The Steelers’ revenge tour is just beginning, and it starts with the Jaguars. The team needs to win 3 games to win their latest Super Bowl, and the Jags are first on the docket.
Steelers focused on themselves, not a potential opponent, during the bye week
The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t know who they will play in the AFC Divisional Round, yet, but while on the bye week, the Steelers got back to work — on themselves.
Throughout the week, Mike Tomlin emphasized players to do some self-evaluating, and self-scouting, looking at what/how they can improve heading into the next round of the AFC Playoffs.
“We’re going to go out and execute our stuff,” Ben Roethlisberger told Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Those things wouldn’t change no matter who we were playing.”
Tomlin also didn’t go light on the players, as some may have expected. Wednesdays are usually a very light practice for the Steelers, but they donned pads this week for the first time in a long time.
“Guys were really into it today,” Maurkice Pouncey said. “We know it’s elimination. We could play next week and then be at home. Guys were really locked in. They were focused. It’s an exciting time of the year.”
Not all of the work which could pay huge dividends for the black-and-gold took place on a football field, but also in the film room.
“I went back and watched myself over the course of the year,” Le’Veon Bell said. “There were a lot of balls I watched that (I saw) me taking my eyes off when I was catching it. Sometimes that can result in dropping it, sometimes I catch it.
“I’ve been putting the effort into practice to make sure I look at the ball all the way in and catch it.”
“We don’t know who we are playing, but we can look at where we make mistakes, what personnel we were in, what personnel they were in,” Cameron Heyward said. “If we can clean that up now and have a good understanding of it going in (to next week), I think we’ll be better off.”
Ultimately, the goal is to be as prepared as possible, and that includes knocking off the rust for those sat out the Week 17 game vs. the Browns, and will have almost three weeks between game action of the regular season and the playoffs. If you ask Bell, he wants the Steelers to be just like McDonald’s.
“We have a little buzz or extra little drive because it’s a playoff game,” Bell said. “We don’t want to have an on and off switch. It’s like at McDonald’s. If you order a number one, you get a Big Mac. We want to be the Big Mac every time. You already know what you’re going to get. That’s the type of team we want to be.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is the real home of 'Sacksonville'
The Jacksonville Jaguars recently adopted a name for their prolific pass-rushing defense.
Cleverness being what it is (or isn't), someone (and I haven't done the research to find out the answer) came up with 'Sacksonville,' which, in all honestly, isn't that bad.
Anyway, given such a nickname, I just assumed that Jacksonville's defense not only had enough sacks to lead the league in that category, but to lead it comfortably.
With the Steelers set to face a Browns offense in Week 17 that gave up seven sacks the first time the two teams met on September 10, I just had to see how close Keith Butler's defense was to the Jaguars in that category.
And when I saw Pittsburgh was only two behind, you better believe, after health and the number one seed (pipe dream), seeing the defense best the Jaguars' for the team sack title was my number one rooting interest this past Sunday.
It was tough keeping up with the number of sacks the Steelers were recording, given I had to use both hands, but I was more than pleasantly surprised to see the six they posted were enough to out-duel Jacksonville by one.
So what does this mean right now?
Does this mean Pittsburgh should demand the Jaguars hand over their t-shirts and all other 'Sacksonville' paraphernalia and declare its defense champion of the sack?
Does this mean the Jaguars should feel ashamed of adopting such a nickname for its defense and not even being able to finish number one in the end?
No, not really.
I mean, nicknames are nice, and they're especially cool when your team hasn't been to the postseason for a very long time, which, before this season, Jacksonville hadn't since 2007.
And, hey, as a proud Terrible Towel(s) owner for all of my adult life, I certainly can't mock something—a name or symbolic flag—that fans gravitate to as a means of rallying around a sports organization.
However, I think what the 56 sacks represents for the Steelers is that they're a complete football team.
Yes, Pittsburgh is known for its offense, a unit that, if it performs at a high level, starting in the divisional round, should be a force great enough to carry the entire team to three-straight victories and a championship all by itself.
But even if the offense struggles a bit in the playoffs, due to, oh, I don't know, rust, the Steelers defense—specifically, the pass-rush—has demonstrated through 16 weeks that it can change a game in a heartbeat with a timely sack or three.
And if the defense struggles, we've seen down the stretch that the offense is more than capable of scoring as many points as it needs to win.
Can the Jaguars say that if their defense struggles?
Can Jacksonville survive on the arm of Blake Bortles if the legs of its pass-rush can't get to the opposing quarterback?
Finally, it's not a foregone conclusion that the Jaguars will wind up in Pittsburgh for the divisional round in less than two weeks.
But if they do, I wouldn't go bragging about my sack totals (or my new nickname), if I were them.
The Steelers defense—and offense—might have a little something to say about both, when all is said and done.
Divisional Round
Atlanta Falcons

Philadelphia Eagles

Atlanta FalconsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
The loss to the Dolphins, honestly, and not for the better. In a playoff season you’d love to have that magical moment where your favorite team figures everything out and wins out, the way Atlanta did in 2016. Instead, the Falcons showed us with their horrible, error-ridden loss to an inferior Miami team that they were not going to transition smoothly back into a juggernaut this year. That has led them to their current situation.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
If the Falcons make it, I’d bet on Grady Jarrett. He had three sacks in last year’s Super Bowl and has quietly been one of the nastiest defensive tackles in the NFL this season, and there’s no reason he can’t eat in the playoffs, especially if he winds up matched up against an inferior offensive line.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Probably Ricardo Allen. He’s not a household name, but he’s an impact safety who does all the little things well and covers the middle of the field about as well as anybody in the league. He hasn’t made many big, splashy plays this year, but he’s overdue.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
It’s still Matt Ryan. The downgrade from Ryan to Matt Schaub is a scary one, and despite the lousy stats he’s put up this year, Ryan is still a great quarterback having a good season. He’s just had way too may interceptions off tipped passes.
Which team scares you the most?
On one hand, t’s the Saints, because losing to the Saints again in the playoffs would be the most crushing thing imaginable. But because I think that game is more manageable than some, I’ll go with the Minnesota Vikings, who dominated the Falcons defensively in their matchup earlier this year and are built to make a deep run.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
They can chew up drives with effective, short passing and running games. The Falcons defense has been solid all year, but when you can string together long, productive drives, you limit the offense’s chances and typically come away with points.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Atlanta’s a great city, so you know that it would be a sweet parade on that virtue alone. Also, we’ve waited 50-plus years for one, which tends to add to the flavor.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
Things finally clicked. This is a tremendously talented roster with a largely capable coaching staff at the helm, so the fact that they have struggled so often remains a bit of a marvel. They can turn it around at any time if they just stop making so many mistakes, and if they make a Super Bowl run, it’ll because they did just that.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Being the Atlanta Falcons. ‘Nuff said.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The many, many years of Super Bowl futility. They’ve broken so many other laughable streaks over the years that the Super Bowl truly is the last frontier.
Want more Falcons coverage? Come fan with us at The Falcoholic
Philadelphia EaglesTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Beating the Panthers (and the refs) on Thursday Night Football in Week 5 is when it first started to feel like “OK, this team is for real.”
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
The Eagles already gave out big in-season extensions to Alshon Jeffery and Tim Jernigan. Brandon Graham could be next in line for a new deal.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Undrafted rookie running back Corey Clement is quietly a solid contributor in the Eagles’ backfield.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
The Eagles already lost him: Carson Wentz.
Which team scares you the most?
The team with the Hall of Fame head coach and quarterback combination: the Patriots.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
Bad Nick Foles shows up to play. The Eagles can’t win in the postseason with how terrible he was in Week 16.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Everyone has long teased the Eagles about not having a Super Bowl. Finally winning one would make that stop. Also it’d be crazy if the Eagles could overcome all their injuries to win a title.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
Jim Schwartz’s defense really stepped up to an elite level and Doug Pederson was able to have the offense produce just enough to get by.
What's your team's playoff curse?
The Eagles were the only team to ever beat Vince Lombardi in the playoffs. Now they can’t win the trophy named after him.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The Eagles haven’t won a playoff game since Jan. 11, 2009. They’re 0-4 in playoff games since then.
Want more Eagles coverage? Come fan with us at Bleeding Green Nation
Atlanta Falcons
15-10 Eagles
vs Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles tried to hand the Falcons the game and won it anyway
The Eagles weren’t favored to win with Nick Foles under center, but when time expired, Philadelphia came out on top.
The most obvious storyline heading into this one was Foles starting in place of Carson Wentz, who tore his ACL in Week 14. But the Eagles finished the regular season with the third-best run game in the NFL. The ground game had some momentum in the first half, but the Falcons slowed them down, holding the Eagles to 96 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Philadelphia opened things up with the run/pass option in the second half, and it took advantage of the fact that the Falcons expected them to run it. Foles had some errant throws, but finished with a respectable 246 yards on 23-of-30 passing with no picks.
It was windy at Lincoln Financial Field, and the Falcons were stuck trying to move the ball against the wind in the second half. The Eagles’ defense keyed in on the run, just like they did all year to finish No. 1 in the league, and pretty much shut Atlanta down for most of the second half.
The Eagles settled for a field goal after a 14-play, 83-yard drive that took almost eight minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter. Atlanta made some big-time plays on the next possession, but a crucial stop from the Eagles on fourth-and-goal saved the day.
This one had some very strange plays that shaped the outcome, and things ended up bouncing the Eagles’ way just enough to get the win.
Falcons caught a break with a Jay Ajayi fumble
And they made life a lot easier for Foles by interfering with his receivers consistently. The Falcons had two pass interference calls for 63 total yards in the first quarter alone, including this one on the first play of the Eagles’ first possession.
On the next play, Atlanta’s defense picked him up by forcing an Ajayi fumble.
Julio Jones had to play DB to prevent some Matt Ryan interceptions
Matt Ryan was the league’s MVP last season — not so much this season. The Falcons’ offense has been inconsistent, and Ryan’s play has been part of it. Jones had to come to his rescue a couple of times, not with big catches, but by knocking down almost certain interceptions.
The Eagles might have been able to run away with this one if Jones hadn’t knocked these balls down.
Keanu Neal’s assist gave Nick Foles his best passing play of the day
Foles is not the world’s most accurate passer, and he had to throw against the wind in the first half, which did not improve his aim. But he got some help from Falcons safety Keanu Neal on this one, which bounced off of Neal’s knee and into the waiting hands of Torrey Smith.
Foles recovered his own fumble and almost scored
This may be the play that ultimately decided the game in the Eagles’ favor. Foles fumbled on the 2-yard line on third-and goal, recovered it on the 1-yard line, and it was ruled a touchdown. It was overturned on review.
It didn’t matter because LeGarrette Blount scored anyway. The Eagles decided to go for it on fourth down. Blount walked into the end zone
A muffed punt swings luck in the Falcons’ direction
The Falcons had just given up a touchdown to the Eagles, and they were trailing 6-3 thanks to a missed extra point by Philadelphia. They got another boost from the Eagles’ special teams when they muffed a punt.
The Falcons recovered and were able to drive down and score to take a 10-6 lead.
Tipped punt negated a running into the punter call
The Falcons almost got a redo on this one. But on review, it was clear that the punt was tipped.
It would have moved the Falcons up five yards and given Matt Bosher a chance to punt it again. Instead, the Eagles got it on their own 28, and they went down and scored a field goal to pull within 10-9.
This Nelson Agholor run was play calling at its finest
The Falcons’ run defense finished the season ranked in the top 10, but they didn’t have much of an answer for the Eagles on Saturday no matter who was running the ball. Nelson Agholor even got a shot and made the most of it.
This game was the first time a No. 1 seed came into the playoffs as an underdog. But creative play calling like this helped lock the game up for the Eagles.
Mohamed Sanu drops a crucial first down
The catch rule bit the Falcons with less than four minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Trailing 15-10, Ryan completed a pass to Sanu for a first down on third-and-6. Except the pass was incomplete.
Sanu didn’t control the ball all the way through the catch, and the Falcons had no choice but to go for it. Matt Ryan completed a clutch pass to Jones for a fresh set of downs.
But the Falcons couldn’t punch it into the end zone, and the Eagles will host the NFC Championship Game.
Why the Eagles are still dangerous without Carson Wentz
The top highlights from the Eagles’ 15-10 win over the Falcons
The Divisional Round kicked off with our most avian matchup of the playoffs: the Falcons and the Eagles. Atlanta was favored on the road, but Philadelphia was the No. 1 seed for a reason. The Eagles won, 15-10, and are moving on to the NFC Championship. They’ll host either the Saints or the Vikings next Sunday.
Here’s what you missed:
Recap
Football Moments
- The Eagles decided not to catch a punt, and it cost them points
- Julio Jones is having a great game against the Eagles ... as a defensive back
- Mohamed Sanu’s critical first down was overturned thanks to the NFL’s catch rule
- Doug Pederson’s risky decision to kick a field goal paid off for the Eagles
Fun Highlights
- The Eagles couldn’t get out of their own way on this fumble, but they scored anyway
- The Eagles’ best pass play came when a terrible Nick Foles throw bounced off a defender’s knee
- Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie dances like nobdy’s watching in the locker room after beating the Falcons
Final score: Eagles 15, Falcons 10
Eagles 15, Falcons 10: So the Falcons get to the red zone and had their chances to win ....
and they couldn’t get it done.
Their second-and-goal play was this god-awful shovel pass attempt:
Then Julio Jones caught a pass at the Philly 2-yard line that was held up on review.
So it all comes down to one play: fourth-and-2. Matt Ryan danced around for a while, looked for Jones (who fell down and got back up), and it fell incomplete, to the heartbreak of Falcons fans and delight of Eagles fans:
The Eagles ran out the clock for the win.
Celebrate, Philadelphia!
Eagles 15, Falcons 10: The Falcons have found some life.
On third-and-6, Matt Ryan barely avoided a sack and found Mohamed Sanu for a first down:
But the Eagles challenged it and it was overturned. Thanks, catch rule. But oh yeah, the Falcons have cheat code Julio Jones, who did this on fourth down:
The Falcons are trying to ... fowl this streak up:
Falcons 10 - Eagles 15 final score: Atlanta goes quietly into that night
The Atlanta Falcons needed two things in this game. They needed to play well on defense and prevent Nick Foles from actually playing well, given that he had been mediocre at best since taking over for Carson Wentz, and they needed the offense to show up against one of the toughest defenses they faced all year. When the dust settled on this matchup, the Falcons did a little bit of both, but not enough of either, and thus they dropped the Divisional Round to the Eagles.
The defense had the better game, providing smothering run defense at time and holding the Eagles to 15 points on the day, but they still allowed Nick Foles a comfortable pocket far too often and ultimately gave up too many easy first downs. When the game was on the line, they couldn’t get key stops, and that will mar and otherwise solid effort.
For all that, though, this game is on the offense. The Eagles defense was as good as advertised, but the Falcons offense was pathetic aside from a handful of drives, failing to score over 10 points and frequently running into the teeth of the Eagles defensive line. Atlanta had a chance to win this one late in the fourth quarter but couldn’t quite convert, and it speaks volumes that on the biggest play of the season, all they had in the toolkit was a jump ball to Julio Jones. The personnel is here for this offense to excel, but too often in 2017 they didn’t, and that will be the focus of the entire offseason as Atlanta grapples with this one.
Here’s the drive-by-drive summary, if you can stomach it.
First Quarter
The Falcons kicked it off, and the very first play of the game was a Nick Foles deep shot that turned into a duck. Unfortunately, Brian Poole rolled right through the receiver, who had to stop and come back to try to get the ball, and the Eagles picked up over 40 yards on a pass interference. Fortunately, Jay Ajayi fumbled the ball away on the very next play, and the Falcons had the ball.
The Falcons got a quick first down on a throw to Levine Toilolo, before Devonta Freeman picked up five yards on two carries against that stifling Philadelphia front. Then Ryan hit Mohamed Sanu for a first down to keep the drive alive. Then the Falcons got things cooking with Tevin Coleman outside, as the stellar, speedy back picked up nearly 20 yards on two consecutive carries. The Falcons somewhat predictably got into the red zone and couldn’t get it done, but Matt Bryant hit the 33 yarder while lightly napping to give Atlanta the first lead of the day.
Falcons 3 - Eagles 0
The Eagles started things off with a zero yard gain by Jay Ajayi, and then Nick Foles missed on two consecutive passes. Unfortunately, Desmond Trufant got hit with a pass interference call on third down, and the Eagles had 63 yards in penalties already and another first down. Jay Ajayi then had two big gains in a row to put the Eagles on the Falcons’ side of the field. Then LaGarette Blount fumbled and fell on it for a seven yard loss, the Eagles picked up ten, and Adrian Clayborn got a sack (with an assist from Takk McKinley) to kill the drive. Unfortunately, Takk was then down on the field. Another terrific ending to a drive from the Falcons defense. The Eagles punted, and the Falcons started from their own 12.
Tevin Coleman caught a short pass and stretched it into a first down, and then Ryan hit Julio Jones for a beautiful first down followed by a six yard Tevin Coleman run. A Nick Williams drop set up third down, and then the Falcons couldn’t get it up the middle. That left them to try for it on fourth down (???) and they picked up a delay of game penalty and punted it away afterwards.
The Eagles elected to feed Jay Ajayi, who was cooking and picked up something like 23 yards on three carries. The Eagles were rolling as the first quarter ended.
Second Quarter
The Eagles kept moving after the break. Nick Foles was able to connect, Ajayi continued to run well, and Philadelphia got a back-breaking handoff to Nelson Agholor that fooled the Falcons defense and led to a 21 yard gain that put them within striking distance of the end zone. The Eagles managed to get alllll the way to the one yard line on third down before backs collided in the backfield, the ball was fumbled, and Nick Foles fell on it. After review, the Eagles had fourth and 1 to go. Unfortunately, Blount ran it to the outside and got in without much trouble, putting the Eagles ahead 6-3. Fortunately, the extra point bounced off the upright.
Falcons 3 - Eagles 6
The Falcons needed to answer, and thankfully they did get moving. A 24 yard pass to Mohamed Sanu put them close to midfield. Unfortunately, a Matt Ryan bomb that had to be knocked down by Julio, a pass into the backfield, and a short Julio catch forced a punt. FORTUNATELY, the ball somehow bounced off of two Eagles before the Falcons fell on the ball and recovered it.
A Mohamed Sanu incompletion didn’t matter thanks to a penalty, but the Falcons got nothing on a first down run. Then the Eagles got hit with a holding call on a bad Matt Ryan throw to create a first down situation where Matt Ryan held on to the ball forever before throwing an incomplete to Levine Toilolo, who was virtually blanketed. Then on third down, Ryan got spun around and somehow threw a hop pass to Devonta Freeman for the touchdown, putting Atlanta up.
Falcons 10 - Eagles 6
The Eagles suddenly found themselves struggling to run the ball, but they could still throw it, and they got a first down on a play where Keanu Neal couldn’t make the tackle. Then they had an unproductive run, a short pass, and a high Foles pass to an open receiver to force the Eagles to punt again.
The Falcons started the next drive by handing it off to Tevin Coleman, who picked up a first down and a lot more. Unfortunately, they stalled out near midfield thanks to a missed throw and Devonta Freeman not being able to escape from all 11 Eagles defenders despite a game try. With :55 left, the Falcons punted. The Eagles got hit for a running into the punter penalty that looked pretty egregious, but Philadelphia also got a hand on the ball, and wound up with the ball.
On their final drive of the half, the Eagles completed a pass a little shy of a first down and then dicked around wasted a lot of time before picking up a false start penalty, leaving them with only :22 left. Then on the next play, Keanu Neal attempted to pick off a pass that bouned off his knee and landed in the hands of Torrey Smith, leaving the Eagles at midfield with :12 to go. Then Nick Foles missed a pass badly before hitting Alshon Jeffery with one second on the clock, and the Eagles were able to hit the long field goal to enter the half down a single point.
Falcons 10 - Eagles 9
Third Quarter
The first drive of the quarter was completely unproductive for Atlanta, which wound up punting it away to the Eagles.
The Eagles got nothing on the ground, then a six yard catch, then a short pickup and a punt came in. All defense to start the third quarter.
The Falcons got an easy first down thanks to a Tevin Coleman run, but followed that up with a loss of one and then a near Matt Ryan interception. A Julio Jones catch over the middle, followed by some solid running, got the Falcons moving. They stalled out, though, with the Eagles’ ability to get pressure on Ryan paying off in a big pay when they sacked him on third down. Punt, and the Eagles started on their own 6.
Philadelphia picked up a first down on a short Jay Ajayi run and a catch over the middle, and then Nick Foles started killing Atlanta through the air in a continued, unfortunate, unexpected development. The Eagles got into Atlanta territory at a crisp clip, with Foles continually finding his receivers for first downs. The Falcons badly needed a turnover or a hard stop. They got one, as they managed to get pressure on Nick Foles and got the luck of a Jay Ajayi drop, but the Eagles still hit the 37 yard field goal without much trouble.
Falcons 10 - Eagles 12
The Eagles got a safety into the backfield basically unblocked for a sack, and the Falcons lost a ton of yards on first down.
Fourth Quarter
Then Matt Ryan hit Julio in the hands and saw the ball dropped, and Devonta Freeman took it about 14 yards, which wasn’t nearly enough on 3rd and 20. The Falcons had to punt again.
The Eagles got a screen pass to Jay Ajayi that was executed perfectly, which put the Eagles at midfield after 33 yards. It was a disastrous play, and Foles had little trouble picking up another first down to follow. And then another, on a Nelson Agholor rumble. And then close to another on a pass to Mack Hollins. And then another first down to LaGarrette Blount. At this point, the defense just looked gassed, and the Eagles were inside the ten yard line. They got to third down on about the five yard line, and Desmond Trufant made the tackle on a short pass to set up 4th and 2 for Philadelphia. The Eagles settled for a field goal, and the Falcons were on down five with six minutes to go.
Falcons 10 - Eagles 15
That left all the pressure on the Falcons offense, which had managed only a couple of productive drives all day to this point. They got a first down after a six yard Tevin Coleman toss and a Julio first down pickup, but then Freeman got blown up on first down. The Falcons got a key third down reception from Mohamed Sanu, but it was overturned on review, and the Falcons decided to go for it with everything on the line. Matt Ryan hit Julio Jones for a first down to convert. Then Matt Ryan hit Julio Jones again. Then we were at the two minute warning with Atlanta driving, and the Falcons connected on a seven yard pass to Taylor Gabriel and a great run by Tevin Coleman to put them close to the goal line. Matt Ryan couldn’t quite connect with Julio Jones in the end zone on the first play, the Falcons attempted a shovel pass that didn’t even have a chance on third down, and Ryan hit Julio over the middle on the two yard line on third down. That left fourth down with everything on the line, because a failure to convert would give the Eagles the ball with just enough time to run out the clock. On fourth down, the Falcons tried to connect with Julio Jones in the end zone, but it didn’t work out, and that was game.
The Eagles got the ball back and Grady Jarrett encroached, and that was that. Eagles win.
New Orleans Saints

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans SaintsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Going 0-2 to start the season, and then rebounding against the Panthers. It was a tremendous defensive effort and turnaround, which saw the young Saints defense put an important divisional win together in Week 3. The team went on an eight-game winning streak, and has been pretty impressive on both sides of the ball.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
It’s definitely Drew Brees. There’s a lot at stake for him, and he’s quietly had a stellar season with the Saints. Now, he’s said he doesn’t wish to play anywhere but New Orleans, and contract negotiations haven’t even been in his mind this season. The feeling is it will work itself out, but a vintage Brees performance in the postseason could speak volumes for what could be the final contract of his career.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Ken Crawley is a second-year undrafted rookie free agent out of Colorado. He’s been playing exceptionally well opposite of rookie phenom Marshon Lattimore. Teams aren’t targeting Crawley as much, and he’s another big reason why the Saints have drastically improved on defense. All he needed was an opportunity to start.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Alvin Kamara and Drew Brees come to mind on offense, but I feel that it has to be Cam Jordan. He’s finally starting to get more national attention, which is well-deserved and overdue. He does so many other things than just pressure the quarterback. Along with being a sack artist, he is extremely intelligent and has as many pass defenses (11) as Desmond Trufant, Harrison Smith, and Logan Ryan. He’s truly the leader on defense for this Saints team.
Which team scares you the most?
Many thought the Eagles would just roll over after Carson Wentz went down, but they’ve proven that Nick Foles can be that guy. They have a distinct home-field advantage over the other teams, with some pretty frigid weather to accompany them. Playing in Philadelphia will be rough for anyone that makes the NFC playoffs this year.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
They get up on the Saints early and take away their game plan. The Saints haven’t shown an ability to be a play-from-behind team this year. The loss to the Rams would probably be the perfect example of how to take it to New Orleans.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Aside being in the party center of the world? Mardi Gras is Feb. 13. So, couple that with another “Party with Lombardi” in New Orleans? I don’t think anything else needs to be said.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
The rookie class and young players made this Saints team contenders. The draft class of Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Trey Hendrickson, and Al-Quadin Muhammad have all had a hand in the team’s 2017 successes. Of course, you can’t overlook the undrafted rookies that have helped too, such as Justin Hardee, Trey Edmunds, Taysom Hill, Cameron Tom, Arthur Maulet, and Austin Carr.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Would have to say it’s playing in Seattle. That would be the worst place for the Saints to play. Of course, the 2011 playoff game against the 49ers forever haunts this team, as that squad realistically could have won another Super Bowl had it not been for Vernon Davis and Alex Smith.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
Getting back to the big show. After the 2009 season, the Saints haven’t managed to reach the conference championship since then. They’ve had three tries (2010, 2011, 2013), and have come up empty.
Want more Saints coverage? Come fan with us at Canal Street Chronicles
Minnesota VikingsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Probably when Case Keenum came off the bench in Week 5 to replace Sam Bradford and lead the Vikings to a victory at Soldier Field. The quarterback spot became Keenum’s at that point, and he’s had the best season of his career.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
It’s probably going to be Keenum. He’s a free agent after this season, and the better he performs in the postseason, the bigger the numbers on that contract are going to be.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
I think it’s going to be safety Andrew Sendejo. Harrison Smith gets pretty much all of the attention for the Vikings at the safety position, and rightfully so, but Sendejo has turned into a very good counterpart for him and has made several impact plays on defense already.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Left tackle Riley Reiff. After being a disaster on the offensive line for a couple of years, the Vikings have really turned things around there, and Reiff is a big part of the reason why. His absence at left tackle would be incredibly hard to overcome against playoff-caliber defenses.
Which team scares you the most?
I would probably have to say Carolina, given that they’re the only team currently in the playoff field that has beaten Minnesota. Cam Newton is just so different from any other quarterback, but at least the game would be at Minnesota’s house this time if they were to meet again.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
The Vikings turn the ball over. In the Vikings’ three losses this season, they are -6 in turnover margin, while they’re at +11 in their victories. As long as teams have to attempt to sustain long drives against this Minnesota defense, they’re going to have a hard time beating the Vikings.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
The fact that it would be the first one ever, and fans wouldn’t even have to wait for the team’s plane to land. If they wanted, they could just block off a few streets and have the parade right after the game.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
The lesser fans of lesser teams will say it was because the Vikings got the game at home (as if the NFL knew back in 2014 when they gave the game to Minneapolis that the 2017 Vikings were going to be really good), but really it’s because Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman have built the best defense in the National Football League over the course of the last four seasons since Zimmer’s arrival.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Where would you like me to start?
What streak is your team hoping to break?
Well, there is that whole “this team has never won a Super Bowl” streak. That would be a really, really nice one to see go by the boards.
Want more Vikings coverage? Come fan with us at Daily Norseman
New Orleans Saints
29-24 Vikings
vs Minnesota Vikings
Saints needed a vintage Drew Brees performance to hold off the Panthers
Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram were the stars of the Saints offense during the regular season. But Drew Brees clearly still has it, and he’s the main reason the Saints beat the Panthers in wild card play.
It was a down year for Brees, statistically speaking. He threw for almost 900 fewer yards than he did in 2016, and had 23 touchdowns compared to 37 the season before. It’s not because Brees didn’t play well or that he’s losing a step. The Saints just didn’t need him to carry the offense. The Saints were almost impossible to stop, thanks to the one-two punch of Kamara and Ingram in the backfield.
Brees and the Saints put up 21 points on the Panthers in the first half and didn’t even convert a single third down to do it. It wasn’t that they couldn’t convert on third down. They never had a single third down to convert. And Brees posted a nearly flawless passer rating in that half.
Kamara and Ingram still got some chances, but they weren’t much of a factor. Kamara finished with just 23 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, and Ingram had 22 yards on nine carries.
But Brees only threw for more than 300 yards in three games this season. So his performance — 376 yards, two touchdowns and one pick — wasn’t what anyone expected after watching Kamara and Ingram run all over everyone this season.
Kamara and Ingram were still crucial
The Saints’ ground attack is the best in the league. That’s why they didn’t have to rely on Brees as much this season. Teams have no choice but to account for them if they’re on the field, and Sean Payton took advantage.
Brees had tight end Josh Hill hilariously wide open in the second quarter, thanks in large part to Ingram. Ingram lined up in the backfield, and the Panthers defense stacked the box. That left the secondary scrambling, and Hill available for the 9-yard score.
Brees’ arm strength is just fine
There were some questions this season about whether or not Brees’ arm strength was declining at age 38. The Saints’ first score of the day, an 80-yard bomb to Ted Ginn Jr., suggests there’s no reason to worry.
Ginn gets plenty of yards after the catch, but Brees puts the deep throw right where it needs to be. Not only is his arm strength still there, his accuracy is, too.
Brees can still extend plays
Late in the fourth quarter, with just under six minutes left to play and holding onto a five-point lead, Brees found himself under pressure. Julius Peppers is closing in, so Brees scrambles to his right and finds Michael Thomas for a 46-yard gain.
The play gave the Saints a first-and-goal from the Saints’ 5-yard line. Alvin Kamara punched it into the end zone two plays later to give the Saints a 31-19 lead.
The Panthers would score again thanks to Christian McCaffrey leaving everyone in the dust for a 56-yard receiving touchdown. And Carolina had a shot when the Saints went for it on fourth-and-2 just after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.
A Brees pass was intercepted by safety Mike Adams to give the Panthers the ball back with a chance to score. But Cam Newton made life a lot more difficult for the Panthers when he was flagged for intentional grounding on second down, which pushed the Panthers back and resulted in a 10-second runoff. Devin Funchess couldn’t haul in Newton’s pass in the end zone on third down. A Vonn Bell sack of Cam Newton on fourth-and-23 with just 11 seconds left in the game gave the ball back to the Saints. They kneeled it to advance to the divisional round.
The win was not all Brees, obviously. The defense held the Panthers to field goals on four of six scores and came up huge on the Panthers’ last possession. Michael Thomas came up with some big plays, and just the threat of what Kamara and Ingram can do on the field helps. But the Saints wouldn’t have pulled this one off without a classic Brees performance.
The top stories from the Wild Card Round
Vikings to face Saints next Sunday
After a lot of drama at the end of the game, the Minnesota Vikings know who they will face in their Divisional Round playoff contest next week at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The New Orleans Saints defeated the Carolina Panthers by a final score of 31-26 in the final matchup of Wild Card Weekend, meaning that they will make the trip north to face the Vikings at 3:30 PM Central time next Sunday afternoon.
As we know, the Vikings defeated the Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium back in Week 1, with Sam Bradford throwing three touchdown passes and the Saints not finding the end zone until garbage time in a 29-19 Minnesota victory. Bradford has only played two quarters of football since then, but the Vikings have continued going along just fine, having finished with a 13-3 record on the season.
We will have plenty of coverage of this week’s game right here at The Daily Norseman, so make sure you keep checking us out to make sure you have all the latest news.
Roughing The Podcast 44: It’s Playoff Time
Di and Ted return, and it’s all about the playoffs.
Playoffs?!
Since the Vikings were on a bye, they review all the action from wildcard weekend. They save the Panthers-Saints game for last, and talk about the level of hatred for those cheating bounty hunters.
From there, it’s divisional playoff preview, and they talk about all the upcoming matches. They save the best for last, and talk about the Saints-Vikings rematch, and why they both have this strange sense of calm about the game.
Finally, they wrap the show up with listener questions.
Let us know what you think of the show by leaving a comment below, or even better, a review on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks for listening!
To find the show:
Stitcher here: Stitcher Link
iTunes, here: iTunes link
RSS feed is: http://roughingthepodcast.libsyn.com/rss
Championship Round
Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

Jacksonville JaguarsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Blowing the Steelers out Week 5. We knew the Jaguars defense was good, but even with 10 sacks against Houston it was still eye-opening to watch them totally dominate a team like Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
I'd be hard-pressed to say anyone other than Blake Bortles. He might have earned the fifth-year option so far, but a playoff run could earn him a new deal.
Who’s the player on your team who nobody knows but will?
Shockingly Yannick Ngakoue is still not talked about much while being probably the team’s best pure pass rusher. He has 2.5 less sacks than Calais Campbell, but nearly half of them are strip sacks.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Campbell. The Jaguars have a load of talent on the defensive line, but Campbell is the key that unlocks everything else.
Which team scares you the most?
The Chargers. It was a tough game the first time that the Jaguars probably should have lost. Philip Rivers seems to always put up huge numbers against the Jaguars and their defense is set up perfectly to stifle the offense.
Anyone can beat your team if …
You get a lead and force Bortles into obvious passing situations. Each time this team has been behind and Bortles has to bring them back, they've lost.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
It would be the least expected. C’mon, a Blake Bortles-led Super Bowl parade?
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because …
The suffocating defense.
What's your team's playoff curse?
The last time the Jaguars went deep, they lost to the Titans for the third time.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
A decade-long playoff winless drought.
Want more Jaguars coverage? Come fan with us at Big Cat Country
New England PatriotsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Definitely Week 5 after New England started 2-2 and the defense was the worst in the NFL. The Patriots played the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, won, and the defense has been one of the top five units in the NFL ever since.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
Dion Lewis is definitely positioning himself for a big deal, possibly even from the Patriots. He’s one of the most efficient running backs in the league and a team willing to risk injury and give him a bigger role could see a huge payoff.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Right guard Shaq Mason is the Patriots’ best offensive lineman and he’ll get attention for his incredible blocking for Lewis. He’s also pretty solid in pass protection.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Quarterback Tom Brady is an easy answer and so is tight end Rob Gronkowski. Other than those two, defensive lineman Trey Flowers is the only consistent pass rusher and edge setter, so his ability is unique on the roster.
Which team scares you the most?
The Jacksonville Jaguars because of their combination of elite defense and ability to run the football. The Patriots’ run defense is weak so the Jaguars can set up favorable second- and third-down situations, while the defense can keep it a low scoring affair.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
... the Patriots’ injuries keep adding up. The offense is without Marcus Cannon and Julian Edelman for the year, while Chris Hogan and Rex Burkhead have battled injuries. The defense doesn’t have Dont’a Hightower and has played without Trey Flowers, Alan Branch, Malcom Brown, Kyle Van Noy, and Stephon Gilmore for extended periods of time. These are all top-tier players on the Patriots roster that need to be available for New England to contend with healthier teams.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Institutional knowledge and recent parade-planning experience. Oh, and Gronkowski drinking beers.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
The Patriots were always supposed to win, but also that Brady and Bill Belichick should think about retiring and that the window is closing on New England.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Eli Manning and Bernard Pollard, neither of whom will be present in the postseason mwahahahahaha
What streak is your team hoping to break?
They haven’t won a Super Bowl since February.
Want more Patriots coverage? Come fan with us at Pats Pulpit
Jacksonville Jaguars
24-20 Patriots
vs New England Patriots
What you should expect from Vikings vs. Eagles, Jaguars vs. Patriots this weekend
I write mostly about X’s and O’s. I love thinking outside the box about game plans — or sometimes, it’s just thinking inside the box — and then put it into words we can all understand. For this weekend’s Conference Championship Round, it has mostly the latter.
When figuring out how a team will attack another, it starts at the quarterback position. And this weekend, we have Nick Foles starting for the Philadelphia Eagles, Case Keenum for the Minnesota Vikings and Blake Bortles starting in New England for the Jaguars. All three of those fit inside the box.
Those three teams will try winning the same way: by riding their defenses. All three of those teams are in the top four in defensive points per game. According to Football Outsiders’ DVOA, the Jaguars have the best defense, followed by the Vikings. At No. 5, it’s the Eagles.
Expect a low-scoring Eagles vs. Vikings game in the NFC Championship
Looking specifically at the NFC Championship Game, the first team to 17 might win. The Vikings and Eagles both want to run the ball. They are second and sixth in rush attempts per game, respectively, and they’re both in the top eight for rushing units.
They are equally as efficient at stopping the run. The Eagles have the third-best rush defense according to Football Outsiders, while the Vikings are sitting at No. 5. Something has to give.
The give is the quarterback position — specifically, which quarterback will make fewer mistakes. Keenum can create more in his offense than Foles can, but Foles isn’t put in a position to make as many mistakes as Keenum. The Eagles used a ton of run-pass options (RPOs) last weekend to pass the ball because Foles did that well within Chip Kelly’s offense in 2013, his best season as a pro.
Keenum pushes the ball downfield more often, ninth-most in the NFL for qualifying quarterbacks. So in the end, both teams will try the same thing: Run the ball, play field position, try forcing turnovers and make enough plays at the quarterback position.
Why the Eagles remain dangerous without Carson Wentz
The Jaguars will run the ball vs. the Patriots in the AFC Championship
What I said above is the Jacksonville Jaguars’ game plan, too. They lead the league in rush attempts per game. That’s their bread and butter: run and then play-action pass. Bortles has a passer rating of 106 on play-action passes, good for seventh-best in the NFL. His passer rating drops down to 77.8 on a non-play-action pass.
So we know what Jacksonville will do on offense, especially since New England is the one of the worst teams in the NFL at stopping the run up the middle, which Jacksonville excels at. However, Bill Belichick is one of the best at limiting one-dimensional offenses, which (and sorry to Bortles fans) is, by design, one-dimensional.
What will the New England offense throw at the Jaguars?
The intriguing matchup this weekend is New England’s offense against Jacksonville’s defense. New England is the best in the NFL at adapting a game plan to fit the upcoming opponent. For example, Tom Brady threw the ball 53 times last weekend against the Titans, far more than any game this season. I’ve covered Jacksonville’s pass rush in an X’s and O’s video, and it’s elite. And we know pressure, especially up the middle, bothers Brady. That’s not unique to Brady, but when New England struggles on offense, it’s because of this.
One last thing to note: Brady is 3-0 in the playoffs against top-two ranked scoring defenses, with a passer rating of 109.9. He won’t be intimidated by the Jags.
The conventional wisdom is to leave in extra blockers in passing situations to give your offensive linemen more help. This works best when a team has one or maybe two guys who are elite pass rushers. Easy to target them. It shouldn’t work as well against Jacksonville, though. Which pass rusher do you double? You can’t double all of them.
So I expect the Patriots to do what they always do against a great pass rush: Go empty, find matchup issues, and throw the ball quickly.
New England was fifth in the NFL at almost 20 percent of offensive pass snaps being from empty. That number almost feels too low. The Patriots are able to go empty to isolate their best players, primarily Rob Gronkowski, on defenders who can’t guard him.
Sometimes instead of going empty, they will put Gronk into the boundary by himself, again allowing for a favorable matchup. Going both empty with motion, which the Pats do most every time, and putting Gronk to one side by himself gives Brady a man or zone read. Here are some examples of that from last week, especially on third down and in the low red zone when the Patriots need to make a play:
Motion to see man coverage, throw to Gronk. Bingo
Another third down, another matchup win for the Patriots, but this time it’s not from empty:
Just one last example, this time against Denver in Week 10. It’s just not something they started doing last week. Here’s a third-and-9 converted to a first down:
Another reason the Patriots are so effective at spreading out a defense is their ability of their running backs to be receivers. All three of them — James White, Dion Lewis, and Rex Burkhead — do excellent jobs out of the backfield, or even lined up in space:
Most linebackers have no shot here, and there are plenty of examples of how the Patriots love to use these matchups to their advantage.
How will the Jacksonville defense try to stop the Patriots?
So the fun part is figuring out how the Jaguars will defend these looks, mostly how they will defend Gronk, and whether Gronk will even split out wide. The easy answer is just to put in their stud cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, on Gronk and use the rest of their pieces on defense to double whomever they see fit on certain plays. Myles Jack, their speedy linebacker and former dual threat at UCLA (he played RB/LB for two seasons) can cover any back out of the backfield.
However, earlier this week the Jags’ coaching staff said they won’t put Ramsey on Gronk in man-to-man coverage, as they are primarily are a Cover-3 team. So the Jaguars will just run their defense. If that’s the case, Ramsey can lock up whatever WR. I just don’t believe Jacksonville will want Barry Church one-on-one at any time against Gronk. I’m fascinated to find out how Jacksonville will manage to play this.
At the same time, if going empty keeps the Jaguars in Cover 3, New England will most likely keep Gronk and the RBs in the slot to exploit the middle of the field, instead of looking outside the hashes where Jacksonville allowed only a 51 percent completion rate, good for third-best in the NFL. So much going on.
Lastly, and it’s not talked about enough because of Jacksonville’s excellent pass defense, its rush defense is suspect. According to Football Outsiders, the Jaguars have the 26th-ranked rush defense, while the Patriots have the third-ranked adjusted rushing offense. Just looking at first-and-10, the Patriots have used a fullback on 109 snaps in either 21 or 22 personnel this season, and when rushing the ball, they are in the top eight in yards per carry. So the Patriots will try rushing the ball.
My guess is the Patriots will mix between two offenses. They will tempo the Jaguars with spread formations, not allowing the DL to rotate. Then they will hit them with base personnel runs as they switch out the starters for backups.
One last nugget to point out: Brady is excellent in the play-action game, and the Patriots offense has always excelled with this concept below:
A fake power run, throw over the middle to Gronk. This play will get run this weekend.
I can’t wait to watch the games! Let me know who you think will win. I’m going with Philadelphia against New England in the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady’s hand injury has people in conspiracy mode
The Jaguars-Patriots AFC Championship game this upcoming Sunday got slightly more interesting, with Tom Brady officially listed as questionable on the injury report Friday. The 40-year-old landed on the injury report Wednesday and didn’t practice on Thursday. People are very concerned!
But it’ll all be fine (probably).
Coach Bill Belichick was asked about Brady’s status for Sunday’s AFC Championship game on Friday morning. He responded with the usual amount of salt:
Brady was just as secretive Friday, telling reporters “we’ll see” if he plays Sunday and that he wasn’t interested in divulging any more details about his injury. He even went so far as to wear gloves to his press conference.
It wasn’t until Saturday night that ESPN’s Dianna Russini finally reported the obvious: Brady will start in the AFC Championship.
What happened to Tom Brady’s hand?
Brady bumped into a teammate (later identified as Rex Burkhead) at practice on Wednesday, hitting his hand on the player. That got him sent to the team’s medical staff and excused him from his regularly scheduled media availability on Wednesday afternoon.
The Patriots being who they are, a lot of people assumed it was just an excuse to keep him away from the cameras. But it turns out he really does have a hand injury.
Brady was listed as limited during Wednesday’s practice with a right hand injury. He was out Thursday.
X-rays of Brady’s hand revealed no structural damage, per Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald, and a source told Mike Reiss of ESPN that Brady’s hand “should be OK.” Michael Felger of 98.5 The Sports Hub said that Brady had four stitches in his hand, but it “should not affect him.”
Still, the Patriots aren’t saying anything beyond the fact that it’s a hand injury, giving no specifics about which finger(s), the various bones in there or anything else.
And it seems like he’s OK. He was at practice Thursday, though the Patriots officially listed him as “Did Not Practice”:
And again on Friday:
He was designated as a limited participant, but it’s not clear if he threw at practice.
How does it compare to Brady’s past injuries?
It’s not the first time Brady has popped up on the injury report this season. He had been on and off it with an Achilles tendon injury since the middle of the season. Brady was at practice on Wednesday and was seen throwing the football prior to hitting his hand.
Brady had also been on the injury report with a hurt shoulder in late December but was taken off the injury report altogether on Dec. 30.
When he was asked about the specifics regarding his injuries during his Dec. 29 press conference, he would only say, via the Boston Globe, “That’s a tricky question. I’ll pass.”
Could Brady really miss this week’s game?
Lol, no. It would probably take a natural disaster or some breakthrough research about the dangers of consuming too many electrolytes as part of an anti-aging fad before Brady missed this week’s Conference Championship.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport mentioned that it doesn’t seem to be anything serious for Brady. But going against a Jaguars defense that has been one of the NFL’s most fearsome, the Patriots will want a healthy Brady.
That hasn’t stopped a wave of conspiracy theories about Brady’s hand and the Patriots trying to get into the heads of their opponent this week.
Jaguars defensive lineman Malik Jackson thinks it’s a ruse. Appearing Thursday on PFT Live, he brushed it aside.
“I remember (Buffalo Bills running back) LeSean McCoy said he had a high ankle sprain and came out there cutting and stuff,” Jackson said. “So I’m gonna get ready for his best and make sure that we’re all out there to get Tom Brady’s best.”
Some fans even started to dig into conspiracy theories about the glove Brady wore on his hand, revealing just a tiny bit of panic among the Patriots faithful. This photo of Brady wearing a glove on Thursday was the subject of intense speculation about what kind of conspiracy may be afoot:
Brady, who also wore the glove Friday, has said in the past that he doesn’t like to wear gloves when he plays. Still, he was just wearing the glove, not practicing with it. There was some speculation that he had a splint on his thumb in that picture and that it’s potentially there because he dislocated it.
If you’re looking for a silver lining or some other sign of hope, Brady’s teammates didn’t seem especially concerned about it. Then again, they weren’t exactly forthcoming either:
Still, it’s enough of a concern that the line has moved just a little. The Patriots opened as 9-point favorites, but that has closed to -7.5 points in the wake of GloveGate.
The Patriots have elevated injury report obfuscation into an art. Take all this with a healthy dose of skepticism.
But for now, there doesn’t appear to be a reason to panic.
2018 AFC Championship Game Patriots vs Jaguars Friday injury report: Tom Brady is questionable for Sunday
The New England Patriots held their final practice session of the week today. This is the final report ahead of the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with the official game status distinctions.
OUT
Good news for both teams.
QUESTIONABLE
All five players on the Patriots report were limited on Friday and the latter four should be considered game time decisions. Brady and Burkhead are expected to be active, while Waddle should be active because Cole Croston is the alternative.
The good news is that both Brady and Waddle returned to practice after missing on Thursday.
Gipson practiced on Friday for the first time all week and the Jaguars starting safety’s status is up in the air.
N/A
For the Jaguars, Church, Fournette, and Jackson were all limited but were not given a game distinction and are expected to play. The other three were full participants and are also expected to play.
Championship Round
Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles

Minnesota VikingsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Probably when Case Keenum came off the bench in Week 5 to replace Sam Bradford and lead the Vikings to a victory at Soldier Field. The quarterback spot became Keenum’s at that point, and he’s had the best season of his career.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
It’s probably going to be Keenum. He’s a free agent after this season, and the better he performs in the postseason, the bigger the numbers on that contract are going to be.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
I think it’s going to be safety Andrew Sendejo. Harrison Smith gets pretty much all of the attention for the Vikings at the safety position, and rightfully so, but Sendejo has turned into a very good counterpart for him and has made several impact plays on defense already.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Left tackle Riley Reiff. After being a disaster on the offensive line for a couple of years, the Vikings have really turned things around there, and Reiff is a big part of the reason why. His absence at left tackle would be incredibly hard to overcome against playoff-caliber defenses.
Which team scares you the most?
I would probably have to say Carolina, given that they’re the only team currently in the playoff field that has beaten Minnesota. Cam Newton is just so different from any other quarterback, but at least the game would be at Minnesota’s house this time if they were to meet again.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
The Vikings turn the ball over. In the Vikings’ three losses this season, they are -6 in turnover margin, while they’re at +11 in their victories. As long as teams have to attempt to sustain long drives against this Minnesota defense, they’re going to have a hard time beating the Vikings.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
The fact that it would be the first one ever, and fans wouldn’t even have to wait for the team’s plane to land. If they wanted, they could just block off a few streets and have the parade right after the game.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
The lesser fans of lesser teams will say it was because the Vikings got the game at home (as if the NFL knew back in 2014 when they gave the game to Minneapolis that the 2017 Vikings were going to be really good), but really it’s because Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman have built the best defense in the National Football League over the course of the last four seasons since Zimmer’s arrival.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Where would you like me to start?
What streak is your team hoping to break?
Well, there is that whole “this team has never won a Super Bowl” streak. That would be a really, really nice one to see go by the boards.
Want more Vikings coverage? Come fan with us at Daily Norseman
Philadelphia EaglesTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Beating the Panthers (and the refs) on Thursday Night Football in Week 5 is when it first started to feel like “OK, this team is for real.”
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
The Eagles already gave out big in-season extensions to Alshon Jeffery and Tim Jernigan. Brandon Graham could be next in line for a new deal.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Undrafted rookie running back Corey Clement is quietly a solid contributor in the Eagles’ backfield.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
The Eagles already lost him: Carson Wentz.
Which team scares you the most?
The team with the Hall of Fame head coach and quarterback combination: the Patriots.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
Bad Nick Foles shows up to play. The Eagles can’t win in the postseason with how terrible he was in Week 16.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Everyone has long teased the Eagles about not having a Super Bowl. Finally winning one would make that stop. Also it’d be crazy if the Eagles could overcome all their injuries to win a title.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
Jim Schwartz’s defense really stepped up to an elite level and Doug Pederson was able to have the offense produce just enough to get by.
What's your team's playoff curse?
The Eagles were the only team to ever beat Vince Lombardi in the playoffs. Now they can’t win the trophy named after him.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The Eagles haven’t won a playoff game since Jan. 11, 2009. They’re 0-4 in playoff games since then.
Want more Eagles coverage? Come fan with us at Bleeding Green Nation
Minnesota Vikings
38-7 Eagles
vs Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles-Vikings Final Injury Report: Four players ruled questionable
The Philadelphia Eagles released their third and final official injury report on Friday in advance of the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Dannell Ellerbe is the only player listed by the Eagles. He’s questionable to play due to a hamstring injury.
Ellerbe didn’t practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday and Friday. I would imagine he plays but it’s not written in stone.
Sidney Jones was a full participant on Friday. It remains to be seen if he’ll be a healthy scratch or not this weekend.
Kamu Grugier-Hill, who was limited on Thursday, was full go on Friday. Good to see.
Note that the Eagles once again practiced at Lincoln Financial Field, which has recently been resodded.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES INJURY REPORT (FRIDAY)
QUESTIONABLE
LB Dannell Ellerbe (hamstring)
...
INJURED RESERVE
QB Carson Wentz
OT Jason Peters
LB Jordan Hicks
LB Joe Walker
DT Aziz Shittu
WR Dom Williams
MINNESOTA VIKINGS INJURY REPORT (FRIDAY)
The Vikings ruled out backup defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, who hasn’t been able to practice all week. Stephen played 38.5% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps in 2017 so this absence hurts the Vikings’ defensive line rotation.
The Vikings also ruled three players questionable: leading receiver Adam Thielen, starting safety Andrew Sendejo, and slot cornerback Mackensie Alexander. Thielen was limited on Friday and is expected to play, though he might not be 100%. Sendejo hasn’t officially cleared the NFL’s mandatory concussion protocol as of this publish time but Mike Zimmer said he expects the safety to be ready. After being limited on Wednesday and Thursday, Alexander did not practice on Friday. That might not bode well for his playing chances. We could see a lot of 39-year-old Terrance Newman matched up on Nelson Agholor in the slot.
OUT
DT Shamar Stephen (knee/ankle)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
WR Adam Thielen (low back)
S Andrew Sendejo (concussion)
CB Mackensie Alexander (rib)
...
INJURED RESERVE
TE Blake Bell
RB Dalvin Cook
OG Nick Easton
NON-FOOTBALL INJURY
What you should expect from Vikings vs. Eagles, Jaguars vs. Patriots this weekend
I write mostly about X’s and O’s. I love thinking outside the box about game plans — or sometimes, it’s just thinking inside the box — and then put it into words we can all understand. For this weekend’s Conference Championship Round, it has mostly the latter.
When figuring out how a team will attack another, it starts at the quarterback position. And this weekend, we have Nick Foles starting for the Philadelphia Eagles, Case Keenum for the Minnesota Vikings and Blake Bortles starting in New England for the Jaguars. All three of those fit inside the box.
Those three teams will try winning the same way: by riding their defenses. All three of those teams are in the top four in defensive points per game. According to Football Outsiders’ DVOA, the Jaguars have the best defense, followed by the Vikings. At No. 5, it’s the Eagles.
Expect a low-scoring Eagles vs. Vikings game in the NFC Championship
Looking specifically at the NFC Championship Game, the first team to 17 might win. The Vikings and Eagles both want to run the ball. They are second and sixth in rush attempts per game, respectively, and they’re both in the top eight for rushing units.
They are equally as efficient at stopping the run. The Eagles have the third-best rush defense according to Football Outsiders, while the Vikings are sitting at No. 5. Something has to give.
The give is the quarterback position — specifically, which quarterback will make fewer mistakes. Keenum can create more in his offense than Foles can, but Foles isn’t put in a position to make as many mistakes as Keenum. The Eagles used a ton of run-pass options (RPOs) last weekend to pass the ball because Foles did that well within Chip Kelly’s offense in 2013, his best season as a pro.
Keenum pushes the ball downfield more often, ninth-most in the NFL for qualifying quarterbacks. So in the end, both teams will try the same thing: Run the ball, play field position, try forcing turnovers and make enough plays at the quarterback position.
Why the Eagles remain dangerous without Carson Wentz
The Jaguars will run the ball vs. the Patriots in the AFC Championship
What I said above is the Jacksonville Jaguars’ game plan, too. They lead the league in rush attempts per game. That’s their bread and butter: run and then play-action pass. Bortles has a passer rating of 106 on play-action passes, good for seventh-best in the NFL. His passer rating drops down to 77.8 on a non-play-action pass.
So we know what Jacksonville will do on offense, especially since New England is the one of the worst teams in the NFL at stopping the run up the middle, which Jacksonville excels at. However, Bill Belichick is one of the best at limiting one-dimensional offenses, which (and sorry to Bortles fans) is, by design, one-dimensional.
What will the New England offense throw at the Jaguars?
The intriguing matchup this weekend is New England’s offense against Jacksonville’s defense. New England is the best in the NFL at adapting a game plan to fit the upcoming opponent. For example, Tom Brady threw the ball 53 times last weekend against the Titans, far more than any game this season. I’ve covered Jacksonville’s pass rush in an X’s and O’s video, and it’s elite. And we know pressure, especially up the middle, bothers Brady. That’s not unique to Brady, but when New England struggles on offense, it’s because of this.
One last thing to note: Brady is 3-0 in the playoffs against top-two ranked scoring defenses, with a passer rating of 109.9. He won’t be intimidated by the Jags.
The conventional wisdom is to leave in extra blockers in passing situations to give your offensive linemen more help. This works best when a team has one or maybe two guys who are elite pass rushers. Easy to target them. It shouldn’t work as well against Jacksonville, though. Which pass rusher do you double? You can’t double all of them.
So I expect the Patriots to do what they always do against a great pass rush: Go empty, find matchup issues, and throw the ball quickly.
New England was fifth in the NFL at almost 20 percent of offensive pass snaps being from empty. That number almost feels too low. The Patriots are able to go empty to isolate their best players, primarily Rob Gronkowski, on defenders who can’t guard him.
Sometimes instead of going empty, they will put Gronk into the boundary by himself, again allowing for a favorable matchup. Going both empty with motion, which the Pats do most every time, and putting Gronk to one side by himself gives Brady a man or zone read. Here are some examples of that from last week, especially on third down and in the low red zone when the Patriots need to make a play:
Motion to see man coverage, throw to Gronk. Bingo
Another third down, another matchup win for the Patriots, but this time it’s not from empty:
Just one last example, this time against Denver in Week 10. It’s just not something they started doing last week. Here’s a third-and-9 converted to a first down:
Another reason the Patriots are so effective at spreading out a defense is their ability of their running backs to be receivers. All three of them — James White, Dion Lewis, and Rex Burkhead — do excellent jobs out of the backfield, or even lined up in space:
Most linebackers have no shot here, and there are plenty of examples of how the Patriots love to use these matchups to their advantage.
How will the Jacksonville defense try to stop the Patriots?
So the fun part is figuring out how the Jaguars will defend these looks, mostly how they will defend Gronk, and whether Gronk will even split out wide. The easy answer is just to put in their stud cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, on Gronk and use the rest of their pieces on defense to double whomever they see fit on certain plays. Myles Jack, their speedy linebacker and former dual threat at UCLA (he played RB/LB for two seasons) can cover any back out of the backfield.
However, earlier this week the Jags’ coaching staff said they won’t put Ramsey on Gronk in man-to-man coverage, as they are primarily are a Cover-3 team. So the Jaguars will just run their defense. If that’s the case, Ramsey can lock up whatever WR. I just don’t believe Jacksonville will want Barry Church one-on-one at any time against Gronk. I’m fascinated to find out how Jacksonville will manage to play this.
At the same time, if going empty keeps the Jaguars in Cover 3, New England will most likely keep Gronk and the RBs in the slot to exploit the middle of the field, instead of looking outside the hashes where Jacksonville allowed only a 51 percent completion rate, good for third-best in the NFL. So much going on.
Lastly, and it’s not talked about enough because of Jacksonville’s excellent pass defense, its rush defense is suspect. According to Football Outsiders, the Jaguars have the 26th-ranked rush defense, while the Patriots have the third-ranked adjusted rushing offense. Just looking at first-and-10, the Patriots have used a fullback on 109 snaps in either 21 or 22 personnel this season, and when rushing the ball, they are in the top eight in yards per carry. So the Patriots will try rushing the ball.
My guess is the Patriots will mix between two offenses. They will tempo the Jaguars with spread formations, not allowing the DL to rotate. Then they will hit them with base personnel runs as they switch out the starters for backups.
One last nugget to point out: Brady is excellent in the play-action game, and the Patriots offense has always excelled with this concept below:
A fake power run, throw over the middle to Gronk. This play will get run this weekend.
I can’t wait to watch the games! Let me know who you think will win. I’m going with Philadelphia against New England in the Super Bowl.
Linval Joseph brings a little bit of everything to the Vikings. Now he wants to bring a legacy
MINNEAPOLIS –- As a high school kid he was part of the “5 O’Clock Crew” in his Gainesville, Fla., gym. It consisted of four guys who could bench press 500 or more pounds. Linval Joseph could slickly snatch it, pump it — a boy with old-school strength among men.
“One guy was a city worker, another worked at the school, and there was another guy who was a post office worker,” Joseph recalled. “They showed me the technique. I already had the strength.”
He’s still got it: the brawn, the clout, as nose tackle and anchor of the Minnesota Vikings No. 1 ranked defense. This is clear in the NFC Championship game on Sunday in Philadelphia –- the Eagles are game-planning ways to deal with Joseph and this raging Vikings defense. The Eagles will quickly learn that if Joseph, aligned over center, the nerve center of the defense, is not restricted, things will disintegrate. Their offense will crumble.
Joseph is part of a wave of new-era nose tackles — mammoth players no longer expected to just sit inside and occupy and sustain the middle while others around them make tackles and sacks. Far beyond a stop-gap, Joseph, who has benched as much as 550 pounds as an NFL pro, has become an anomaly: a big man who can run, a stout guy who is nimble, a 6’4, 328-pound prancer in cleats.
Think Vince Wilfork, and Jim Burt, and Casey Hampton, and Joe Klecko, and Fred Smerles — all dynamic NFL nose tackles from seasons past.
And then watch the way Joseph spins it.
“I’m trying to make it a new position,” Joseph said. “It used to be the nose tackle got 20 to 40 tackles a year and maybe a sack in there somewhere. He kind of got left out because he was plugging things up in the middle for everyone else to make the plays. But I think people are noticing now that my tackles in my four years here in Minnesota (47, 56, 77 and then this season 68 tackles along with 3.5 sacks) have been ticking upward. I have the opportunity to do more here. Not just sit and wait in the middle but rush and roam and see ball, get ball.”
There was a fake-trap pass in the New Orleans Saints playoff game last Sunday where Joseph was initially blocked by the center, then engaged by a guard, then confronted by a tackle, and then blocked by the center again. There was another play where he eventually took on five separate blockers.
Yet he still created a ruckus on each, collapsing the pocket and hurrying quarterback Drew Brees.
Joseph, 29, is in his eighth NFL season, and he has marinated into a polished pro. His first four were with the Giants, where he won a Super Bowl ring in 2012 in his second season. The Vikings swiped him in free agency in 2014 with head coach Mike Zimmer yearning for Joseph’s leadership in the locker room, for his championship flavor to rub off on the rest, and for him to negate the run in the middle.
With the Vikings now a victory from the Super Bowl, Joseph was up to it all and much more.
“He doesn’t always get a lot of credit, but it is impossible to list everything Linval brings to this defense and to this team — it’s a lot,” Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks said. “His whole attitude and approach to the game is infectious. Pound for pound, and I really mean this, I think he is the best player in the National Football League.”
A Giants scout described Joseph as “a big kid, explosive, full of life, a positive kid.” After four years, after seeing him rise, the Giants wondered about his ceiling.
“You see some ‘wow’ moments from young players, but you always have to decide if there is going to be a level of consistency,” the scout said. “We knew it was possible with Linval, but to be honest, he’s taken things to another level far beyond projection.”
Joseph countered: “Plain and simple, they decided to pay JPP (defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul) and that meant me and some others had to be let go. The Vikings saw the consistency. The Vikings said, ‘We can trust that guy.’ I know a lot of players have left New York and fell off and were disappointments. I wasn’t going to be that guy. I was going to be the guy I could have been in New York. I wasn’t going to fall off. I hate to lose. I don’t like being weak. Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you lose it.”
The Vikings know. In just four seasons, they have signed him to two major contracts, the latest an extension entering this season that totaled $50 million with $31.5 million guaranteed.
“The young guys, they ask me, you’re 29, you got paid twice, you got a ring, why do you still do it? I want to be in the hunt. I want to see others succeed. I tell them, help me help you. This is the first season I feel like we have a locker room that has bought totally in, one that is willing to sacrifice for the team. And look where we are. It shows.”
Joseph learned to take his strength and translate it into success on the field. He said he has encountered many players nearly as strong as he is who “fall to the ground when you touch them.” He thinks mistakes will decide the NFC Championship game — which team makes the fewest.
That puts him once again in the center of it.
Joseph’s power, his pressure forces mistakes.
“I want our coaches, our players to feel this,” Joseph said of the championship game. “I don’t think we’re focusing on the miracle game against the Saints; we’ve been focusing on what it felt like before those final 10 seconds, when we were staring at a lost season and a lost chance. We don’t want that for this game.
“We are all playing this game to be a part of history. To be the first team to play the Super Bowl in your home stadium is something I would share with my kids and grandkids and be a part of the rest of my life. Minnesota Vikings football has so much history, legends like the Purple People Eaters. Why not have our own legacy? We want to be a part of that book.”
The Vikings defense is keeping them in the hunt for the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
Philadelphia Eagles

New England Patriots

Philadelphia EaglesTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Beating the Panthers (and the refs) on Thursday Night Football in Week 5 is when it first started to feel like “OK, this team is for real.”
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
The Eagles already gave out big in-season extensions to Alshon Jeffery and Tim Jernigan. Brandon Graham could be next in line for a new deal.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Undrafted rookie running back Corey Clement is quietly a solid contributor in the Eagles’ backfield.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
The Eagles already lost him: Carson Wentz.
Which team scares you the most?
The team with the Hall of Fame head coach and quarterback combination: the Patriots.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
Bad Nick Foles shows up to play. The Eagles can’t win in the postseason with how terrible he was in Week 16.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Everyone has long teased the Eagles about not having a Super Bowl. Finally winning one would make that stop. Also it’d be crazy if the Eagles could overcome all their injuries to win a title.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
Jim Schwartz’s defense really stepped up to an elite level and Doug Pederson was able to have the offense produce just enough to get by.
What's your team's playoff curse?
The Eagles were the only team to ever beat Vince Lombardi in the playoffs. Now they can’t win the trophy named after him.
What streak is your team hoping to break?
The Eagles haven’t won a playoff game since Jan. 11, 2009. They’re 0-4 in playoff games since then.
Want more Eagles coverage? Come fan with us at Bleeding Green Nation
New England PatriotsTeam Briefing
What was the turning point of the season for you?
Definitely Week 5 after New England started 2-2 and the defense was the worst in the NFL. The Patriots played the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, won, and the defense has been one of the top five units in the NFL ever since.
Who is the player who is going to earn himself a big new contract in the playoffs?
Dion Lewis is definitely positioning himself for a big deal, possibly even from the Patriots. He’s one of the most efficient running backs in the league and a team willing to risk injury and give him a bigger role could see a huge payoff.
Who’s the player on your team that nobody knows but will?
Right guard Shaq Mason is the Patriots’ best offensive lineman and he’ll get attention for his incredible blocking for Lewis. He’s also pretty solid in pass protection.
Who’s the player you can’t afford to lose?
Quarterback Tom Brady is an easy answer and so is tight end Rob Gronkowski. Other than those two, defensive lineman Trey Flowers is the only consistent pass rusher and edge setter, so his ability is unique on the roster.
Which team scares you the most?
The Jacksonville Jaguars because of their combination of elite defense and ability to run the football. The Patriots’ run defense is weak so the Jaguars can set up favorable second- and third-down situations, while the defense can keep it a low scoring affair.
Anyone can beat your team if ...
... the Patriots’ injuries keep adding up. The offense is without Marcus Cannon and Julian Edelman for the year, while Chris Hogan and Rex Burkhead have battled injuries. The defense doesn’t have Dont’a Hightower and has played without Trey Flowers, Alan Branch, Malcom Brown, Kyle Van Noy, and Stephon Gilmore for extended periods of time. These are all top-tier players on the Patriots roster that need to be available for New England to contend with healthier teams.
What would make your team’s Super Bowl parade better than the others?
Institutional knowledge and recent parade-planning experience. Oh, and Gronkowski drinking beers.
If you go all the way, they’ll say it was because ...
The Patriots were always supposed to win, but also that Brady and Bill Belichick should think about retiring and that the window is closing on New England.
What's your team's playoff curse?
Eli Manning and Bernard Pollard, neither of whom will be present in the postseason mwahahahahaha
What streak is your team hoping to break?
They haven’t won a Super Bowl since February.
Want more Patriots coverage? Come fan with us at Pats Pulpit
Philadelphia Eagles
41-33 Eagles
vs New England Patriots
Here’s how the Patriots will beat the Eagles in Super Bowl 52
The Super Bowl starts at 6:30 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game on NBC. Be sure to follow coverage from SB Nation throughout the day.
I’m not going to beat around the bush -- the outcome of this year’s Super Bowl is going to be determined in large part by how Eagles quarterback Nick Foles plays.
Before his stellar performance against Minnesota in the NFC Championship, I had very little faith in Foles, but after seeing him carve up that excellent Vikings defense, now he has me like *hand on chin emoji.*
Is it possible that Foles could have a repeat performance this weekend in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots?
Before the NFC Championship, Foles hadn’t exactly set the world on fire since replacing the injured Carson Wentz in Week 14. He had looked pretty shaky at the beginning of the Divisional Round against the Falcons just a week prior. Even though Foles eventually came on and played better against Atlanta, and the Eagles ultimately found a way to win that game, the fact that the Eagles still only managed to score 15 points was definitely cause for concern.
Against the Vikings, however, Foles unleashed one of Elon Musk’s new flamethrowers on their ass.
There are no caveats here, either. The Vikings have a very good defense, one that played better than the Patriots’ defense this year. And Foles torched them.
Repeatedly.
Maybe most importantly, Foles was able to push the ball down the field and hit Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery on deep balls. He went from being essentially a game manager to a being a weapon. If that Foles shows up on Sunday, things could get mighty interesting.
That’s a big if, though.
There’s no way to know if Foles will be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde until after the game has already started, and that’s a little too late for me to be make a Super Bowl prediction.
Therefore, I’m going to lay out what I believe both teams should do along with the things I expect they will do to give themselves the best chance to win. Then, based on my film study and intuition, I will tell you which team I think will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy this year.
Don’t skip ahead!
What the Patriots have to do on offense.
If the Patriots want to have success against that stout Philly defense, they’ve got to block Fletcher Cox.
They have to keep Cox, my Hoss Of The Week from the Divisional Round, blocked up front. Whether it’s a run or a pass -- especially if it’s a pass -- the Patriots are going to have to know where Cox is lined up at all times, or he will make them pay. The Eagles have a bunch of good players up front, but Cox is the straw that stirs the drink.
If it takes staying on a double team a little longer, if it takes sliding the center his way more often than usual, if it takes chipping him with a back, the Patriots must do whatever it takes to try to neutralize Cox.
Otherwise Tom Brady will be running for his life all game.
Be ready for the blitz and take some shots
The Patriots’ offense will have to be ready for blitzes at all times. Even though the Eagles have an excellent defensive line, they love to send extra rushers early and often. That means everybody from the offensive linemen to the wide receivers to the tight ends to the backs have to be on the same page with Brady when the Eagles bring extra guys. All it takes is one guy not breaking off their route or staying in to help pick up the blitz, and bam -- Philly has an opportunity for a sack or to create a turnover.
The Eagles are going to need to make some big plays on defense to try to help their offense keep up with the Patriots. But blitzing always comes with risks, and I expect New England will try to make Philly pay a steep price for sending extra rushers by taking shots down the field on some of those plays.
Get outside with the running game
I expect the Patriots will try to get get outside with their running game. A play in particular that I think we will see several times is the flip play where the quarterback reverses out while the offensive line blocks in one direction, and the quarterback flips the ball to the running back who is running toward the sideline in the opposite direction. For whatever reason I noticed a couple of teams hit the Eagles with that play for decent yardage, and it makes sense for New England to try to run outside against Philly when they have beasts like Cox and Tim Jernigan lined up inside.
No matter which running plays they use to try to get them to the perimeter, it will be interesting to see what kind of damage James White and Dion Lewis can do. I expect both guys to have big days both running and catching the football out of the backfield.
Chip away with the receivers
Another thing I expect so see from the Patriots is to have their running backs and tight ends chipping the Eagles’ edge rushers before continuing out into their routes.
Sometimes those chip blocks work out well for the Patriots in more ways than just slowing down their opponent’s pass rush. The Patriots still end up getting five eligible receivers out into routes. The delay from chipping sometimes creates more space underneath when the defense is playing zone as the coverage continues to sink with the receivers who got into their routes right away. As a result, a lot of times those chippers have an opportunity to catch the ball a couple of yards past the line of scrimmage, then get up a good head of steam before they encounter their first defender.
With Philly’s pass rushers and the fact that they also run quite a bit of zone, it just makes sense that the Patriots will do a lot of chipping, and it should help them a lot.
Unleash the Gronk ... as a decoy.
As far as a way that the Patriots can attack the Eagles in the passing game, I think there is a way for them to use Rob Gronkowski as a decoy to open up the flat zone to his side.
See, on Twitter last week someone (I can’t remember who) was tweeting about Cover 3 and how defenses have started adjusting their Cover 3 rules specifically because their fear of Gronk repeatedly killing them up the seam. So when you have Cover 3 against a 2x2 formation — a formation with two eligible receivers to each side — whichever safety that is walked down has the curl to flat zone to the side they are lined up on.
The problem is that if both the outside and the inside receiver run verticals to that side, the corner usually can’t cover both. There is nobody else deep except the deep middle safety, who may not even be in the deep middle depending upon the routes he sees on the other side of the formation.
Remember all those times you’ve seen Gronk running up the seam with a defender behind him trying to catch up? A lot of times that was the result of a defense playing by the old Cover 3 rules.
With the “new” Cover 3 rules, the safety that’s walked down still has the curl to flat, except when the inside receiver goes vertical. If the inside receiver goes vertical, the safety carries him up the field. In theory, this adjustment would help to limit Gronk’s production on those seam routes while still allowing the defense to get the safety down in the box for the run.
In theory.
When I went back and watched film, I noticed that the Eagles use these “new” rules with their Cover 3 calls when they are faced with a 2x2 formation. What I also noticed, however, is that because that safety is normally the curl-to-flat player to that side, if he ends up having to carry a vertical route, nobody else tends to cover for him in the flat.
That seems like a problem to me.
So I expect the Patriots to test the Eagles’ coverage by lining up in a 2x2 formation and having both the outside receiver and Gronk, as the inside receiver, to run vertical routes to get the corner and safety on that side to bail out of there. Then they can either slip a running back out to the flat to that side or have someone run a crossing route from the other side that ends up in that flat to see if Philly has fixed that issue.
It should be easy money if the Eagles still haven’t fixed it.
Keep an eye on Brandin Cooks.
Did you know Cooks led the Patriots in yards from scrimmage this season, was second to Gronk in receptions with 65 to Gronk’s 69, receiving touchdowns with seven to Gronk’s eight, and receiving yardage by just two yards with his 1,082 to Gronk’s 1,084? Yet, somehow he still seems to fly under the radar.
Did I mention he also had the highest average yards per reception of his career this season at 16.6?
The dude has been balling!
Even when he isn’t catching passes, Cooks seems to have an uncanny knack for forcing defensive pass interference calls on deep balls this season. That is one way he can have an impact without even having to catch the ball. It’s almost like people keep doubting his speed ... right until he runs right by them.
Cooks is a legit game breaker. I have a sneaky suspicion that with so much attention on Gronk, the Patriots are going to feature Cooks a lot this Sunday. As productive as he has been this season, they damn sure should.
Especially if the Eagles are doubling up Gronk on the regular.
Here’s what the Patriots have to do on defense.
Defensively, the Patriots will come after Foles on third downs, right from the start.
If they have success early, they may not let up all game.
New England isn’t one of those teams that can get constant pressure with just a four-man rush anyway, so you will see extra bodies coming after Foles from all over the place. Foles is going to have to prove, again and again, that he won’t wilt under the pressure on the big stage. If he can’t deal well with that pressure, then the Eagles won’t have much of a shot at all on Sunday.
To even have the opportunity to get after Foles, the Patriots must stop the run.
That isn’t exactly easy when the Eagles have a veritable stable of running backs, with LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi, and Corey Clement, as well as some really good run schemes they use to get those guys going.
If the Eagles can turn around and hand the ball off all day with success, you can be damn sure that’s exactly what they will keep doing. The Philly coaches aren’t fools. They realize the less they have to lean on Foles, the better.
If the Patriots are able to stop the run, it will likely be because their interior defensive linemen like Malcom Brown, Lawrence Guy, and Ricky Jean-Francois had big games stuffing the middle.
Expect the Patriots to put a target on Eagles running back Jay Ajayi.
He had four fumbles in 2016, one of which he lost; three fumbles in the regular season this year, of which two were lost; oh, and another fumble in the Divisional round of the playoffs on the first drive of the game against the Falcons. Atlanta recovered that one and turned into three points.
Ajayi had better find some stickum before the game because you can bet your ass the Patriots are going to be going after that ball every time he touches it.
As well they should.
Don’t be surprised if Ajayi fumbles again on Sunday is all I’m saying.
Side note: Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is not a very good blocker. If he ever has to block James Harrison on Sunday in the run game, there will be some smoke in the city!
The New England defense will also have to try to find a way to defend RPOs.
If there were a magic bullet for stopping them, they wouldn’t be so damned effective. And with how well Foles has done completing passes with RPOs the last couple of games, New England should expect a steady dose of them.
One thing that has had some success against RPOs is having the linebacker to side of the running back blitz the B gap. If the ball is handed off, then either the left tackle or left guard blocks the linebacker and leaves a defensive lineman free, or the offensive line leaves the linebacker alone and he makes an easy tackle for a loss.
If Foles keeps it and tries to throw it and that linebacker is unblocked, that could easily turn into an opportunity for an oooooooo weeeeeeeee hit. I don’t know when they will try it, but if the Eagles have some success with RPOs early, I expect the Patriots to eventually run that B gap blitz to try to slow it down.
Also, when Torrey Smith is in the game the Patriots had better know where he is and back TF off. I don’t know if Foles will be able to hit him on deep balls like he did against the Vikings, but Smith can definitely run by anybody the Patriots put on him. There’s always going to be the potential for a big play if New England doesn’t account for his speed.
The Patriots will have success employing pass rush games against the Philly offensive line when they stick with a four-man rush.
Individually, the Patriots’ pass rushers don’t strike fear into offenses the way the Eagles’ pass rushers do. Working together running those games should pay dividends because while the Eagles offensive line doesn’t have many weak points, it did have a hard time passing off pass rush games in several games this year.
Here’s what the Eagles have to do on offense.
The Eagles have to be able to run the football on offense.
Have to.
That means they’ll have to be able to push the big guys on the interior of the Patriots’ defensive line off the ball. With Stefan Wisniewski at left guard, Jason Kelce at center, and Brandon Brooks at right guard, I believe the Eagles have the personnel to move those guys.
That’s very important because while the Eagles run the ball out of a shotgun a lot, many of those runs aren’t full-on zone runs. Philly likes to get a li’l spicy with it and run all kinds of counters and belly plays out of shotgun as well. Those are power football runs that involve double teams, knocking people off the ball, and the running backs getting downhill fast. Once they get their running backs rolling, that will take the pressure off Foles and afford him the opportunity to take some shots down the field off play action pass.
Look for Blount to have a big day against his former team.
The Eagles have to make protecting the football a priority on Sunday.
I already mentioned Ajayi’s fumbling issues, but did you know that in the six regular season games where Foles actually threw at least one pass this season, he also had a fumble in every single one of those games?
Mind you, in four out of those six games he threw six passes or fewer ...
He was credited with two fumbles against the Falcons in the Divisional Round, too. Fortunately for Foles, the Eagles only lost two of those eight (!) total fumbles, but the margin of error for Philadelphia on Sunday is too damn thin for him to be playing with the church’s money.
In this game even one turnover by the Eagles could be enough to doom them. One way or another, they have to find a way to avoid the interceptions and fumbles on offense. It would be a damn shame if their defense balls out, but the offense keeps putting them in precarious positions.
Yes, the Eagles should try to push the ball down the field a lot against the Patriots.
It may seem weird for me to say this since you can probably tell I still don’t have a whole lot of confidence in Foles. Whether it’s Smith, Alshon Jeffery or even Nelson Algholor, Philly has to take some deep shots if for no other reason than to keep New England’s defense honest. And who knows, you might just get a long touchdown or even a PI out of the deal.
I would be a lot more worried about Foles getting picked off trying to throw something relatively short, rather than on on of his deep balls anyway.
The Eagles have to pay attention to Trey Flowers.
He was my Hoss Of The Week for Championship weekend. Flowers is the one guy for the Patriots who can consistently win one-on-one pass rushes, whether he is lined up inside or outside. Flowers can manhandle your offensive tackle, then slip by your center on the next play.
If the Eagles can get him blocked, then they don’t have much to fear from the Patriots’ four-man rush. For that reason, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them show Flowers some extra attention through the game.
Keep the Patriots secondary guessing.
As for the passing game, I saw on film a few ways that other teams have attacked the Patriots defense that the Eagles will probably try to copy.
One way in particular caught my eye. Several teams had success using the ”oopty oop” (four receivers to one side, one to the other) formation (shout out to Jonathan Moxon) against the Patriots.
I also noticed that the Patriots had some issues in coverage when teams used trips bunch formations (three wide receivers lined up within a yard or so of each other to one side). And wouldn’t you know it, the Eagles just so happen to have a pretty good package of route combinations out of the trips bunch set already. I expect Philly to incorporate both of those formations to try to create some confusion in New England’s secondary, especially with the crossing routes. I’d also expect a screen or two out of those formations as well.
I was reminded when watching film that earlier in the season wide receiver motion exposed some communication issues in the Patriots secondary too. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of motion from Philly on offense, at least to start the game. The more they can fool the Patriots into leaving a guy wide open, the easier Foles’ job will be.
Last, but certainly not least, I expect the Eagles to use RPOs as many times as possible on Sunday.
As I already pointed out, Foles seems very comfortable making throws off the RPOs. And if he gets spooked for any reason, he always has the option of just handing off the ball off to the running back. I honestly can’t see a downside for the Eagles that would keep them running those RPOs all game.
One twist that I think Philly might try is running a sluggo, or slant-and-go, off of on one of their RPOs. They like to run double slants to one side some times, and if the Patriots get frustrated enough, the safety may start trying to jump those routes. If Smith, Jeffery, Algholor, or whoever, can hit that slant-and-go up the field, that could be an easy way for Foles to take a shot without having to worry too much about having to try to avoid a pass rush or having to go through his progressions. Just put it up and let them go get it.
Doesn’t get much easier than that. And the Eagles need to make things as easy as possible for Foles.
Here’s what the Eagles have to do on defense.
Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, run three-man rush against Brady.
Switching over to the Eagles’ defense, the first thing I want to say is my personal advice is to them, and anybody else it may concern, is that they should never run three-man rush against Brady.
Never, ever?
Never, ever.
Oh, they might get away with it a time or two, but why even tempt fate? Sooner or later Brady is going to take advantage of that extra time you afforded to him with your crappy three-man rush and drop a bomb on you.
For who, for what?!
The Eagles should’ve taken all of the three man rushes notes out of their playbook before they headed to Minnesota and had a bonfire with them.
Just my opinion.
The Eagles are probably going to get off the bus blitzing.
Hell, I would.
Scared money don’t make no money, and if you want to have any chance of slowing down Brady enough to beat New England, you have to get people in his face. Ideally that pressure would come from the middle, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.
Let me say this too. Everybody says “Well, you have to pressure Brady up the middle. He doesn’t like that.” Uhmm, duh!
Most quarterbacks don’t like to face pressure up the middle, so Brady isn’t exactly unique in that regard. The problem is, as anyone who has faced Brady will tell you, its much easier said than done!
I know folks might not want to hear it, but even when you do get pressure on Brady up the middle, it still might not matter. Brady was sacked a total of 35 times this season. There was only one game all year where he wasn’t sacked at least once and the Patriots still only lost three games. Hell, Houston sacked him five times and still caught that “L” for their trouble.
Just pressuring Brady alone does not guarantee you victory.
But it damn sure helps!
That’s why I expect Philly to send pressure after him on the regular. Even if the Eagles don’t sack him, they can knock him around and try to get him actually feeling like he’s 40 for a change. When they blitz, I expect them to overload one side and try to get free rushers running at Brady to force quick throws. Whether that means Malcolm Jenkins coming off the edge or setting up Cox with a one-on-one in the middle with the center by covering up both guards, Philly will find a way to get quick pressure on Brady.
But, again, it may not matter.
Brady is a damn machine. He stands in there and delivers even when he knows he’s going to get smashed, then gets up and does it again. You can’t just assume that pressure alone will be enough.
When you blitz the Patriots can matter as much as how you choose to blitz them.
They like to throw a lot on first down with play action passes, so I could see the Eagles blitzing quite a bit on first downs.
The Miami Dolphins blitzed on nine out of 25 non-penalized first downs and on seven out of 20 non-penalized second downs in their Week 14 upset. Of the nine first down blitzes, the Patriots gained yardage on six of them, but the longest gain was just 8 yards. There were also three incompletions and Brady was pressured on two of those. I’m not saying that’s the recipe to beat Brady, because I’m not sure that such a thing actually exists, but it definitely worked out pretty well for Miami.
If I were the Eagles I’d also strongly consider checking to a blitz sometimes when the Patriots have the ball on the left or right hashmark and go with an empty set formation with three receivers to the field and two into the boundary.
It’s not 100 percent, but the center tends to slide to the field and the trips side the majority of the time. That means if you have whoever is covering the inside receiver on the two-receiver side blitz from where they are aligned in coverage, there won’t be anybody to block them if you also have two pass rushers on that side of the center like the Eagles normally would. You could send that guy off the edge or in the B gap and Brady wouldn’t have much time to make a decision and get the ball off.
Just a thought.
Oh, and if an Eagles linebacker gets fooled on a play action fake, the best thing for him to do is keep going and rush the quarterback. It is rare that a guy gets caught up into the line of scrimmage and is then able to turn and run and make a play on wherever Brady throws the ball. Might as well try to get a hit on him instead of wasting your effort.
When the Eagles stay with their four-man rush, what I would do would be tell the interior rushers, power rushes only this week.
The Patriots tend to slide their center most of the time away from the back in one back sets when the running back is off-set on one side, or the other. That means the Eagles should know which defensive tackle will have the one-on-one and which will face a double team in those situations.
They should have the defensive tackle to the double team rush the inside half of the guard and try to rip off after he has pushed the guard back a couple of yards. The tackle with the one-on-one can have a little more freedom, but they still need to use some kind of power rush, regardless.
The big thing is to get both guys in the middle pushing the pocket back on damn near every passing play. Patriots offensive linemen want those guys to try go outside and try to get up the field. Those offensive linemen know that Brady doesn’t like pressure right up the middle and that he also likes to step up in the pocket at times to deliver the football. So if they can get a defensive tackle to do, say, an arm over outside, then ride him upfield and past Brady, they can assure that Brady will have a passing lane to step up into inside of them.
If the Eagles defensive tackles can consistently push the pocket into Brady’s lap all game, then their edge guys like Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Chris Long and rookie first-rounder Derek Barnett are gonna eat! If Brady can’t step up, he won’t have anywhere to hide when those edge rushers come around the horn.
Power rushing inside should also put those defensive tackles in position to knock some of Brady’s short passes down as well. Sometimes a pass knocked down is even better than a sack.
Not really, but y’all feel me.
If the Eagles take this approach the Patriots won’t be able to handle Cox’s power rushes one-on-one anyway when they only rush four. Cox could have a monster game on Sunday, and frankly the Eagles need him to if they are to have any chance at victory.
I’d also have nose tackle Tim Jernigan in there on passing downs a little more than usual because he’s strong as a damn ox and can definitely get some good push inside, even against at double team.
But that’s just me.
Just tackle Brady, don’t go for the kill shot.
Last thing as far as pressuring him goes, I saw guys miss Brady repeatedly on film because they were trying to go for the kill shot.
At times Brady looked like he’d slathered his uniform in the same kinda Crisco the city of Philadelphia used to line the light poles before the NFC Championship game. He slipped out of the grasp of wayward pass rushers who appear to have him dead to rights. It’s better just to make a sure tackle on Brady than going for the big hit only to end up on the ground looking up at the referee signaling for a first down.
I’m just sayin’!
Eagles defenders will have their chances to take Brady down, no doubt, but they had better make them under control or he will turn them into yet another victim.
The Eagles will be on alert for trick plays all game.
You don’t normally think of the Patriots of having a “gimmick” offense, but they do all kinds of trick plays almost every single week. From double or triple screens to flea flickers to double passes, the Patriots will find a way to stretch the limits of the playbook to try to use the Eagles’ aggressiveness against them.
Every player just has to concentrate on doing their job and not trying to do somebody else’s. I believe the Eagles will be as prepared as you can possibly be for whatever shenanigans the Patriots throw their way.
Keep a safety over the top of Gronk as much as possible.
He is just unfair when he is running down the field. There is no such thing as having good position on him underneath because he is so damn big. If Gronk gets loose, nothing else will matter, so I’m expecting the Eagles to try to mix in some quarters coverage to help them stay strong against the run, while still having someone in position to stay in front of Gronk on any deep pass.
That Cover 3 adjustment I talked about earlier should make a huge difference in limiting Gronk’s big plays. That is, if the Patriots don’t counter by slipping somebody in that flat like I talked about earlier. At the very least, it will give the Eagles a chance to match up with him without having to switch to a different coverage.
With all of the pick plays, motion, and shifts the Patriots can do I wouldn’t think the Eagles would play a lot of man-to-man in this game, but I can’t be sure about that. If they do go man, it will be interesting to see who draws the assignment of trying to cover Gronk.
Here’s why the Patriots will win ... and it won’t be close.
Having said all that, I’m going to go ahead and pick the Patriots to win their second Super Bowl title in a row in a game that won’t be close by the time the clock strikes zero. The primary reason for this prediction, as you may have discerned by now, is that I still can’t trust Nick Foles.
I can’t.
For Brady to play well enough for the Patriots to win would be par for the course for him at this point in his career. Even when he has an “off” day, Brady has the ability to get it going in the fourth quarter and play well enough that the Patriots still end up winning in the end.
Just ask the Falcons.
For Foles to play well enough to win, however, he’ll have to do something extraordinary for him. Even after his strong showing against the Vikings, I just don’t know if Foles will take care of the ball well enough or make enough big throws down the field to give the Eagles a legit chance to win.
I can see a way for the Patriots to win even if their defense struggles, but I can’t see a scenario where the Eagles’ defense is anything less than dominant for Philly to pull off the victory. That’s just way too much pressure for that side of the ball to shoulder for the Eagles. Even for a defense as good as Philly’s. And, one last time, even if the Eagles defense is dominant, there’s still no guarantee that it will be enough.
I do think the Philly’s defense and its running game will help keep the score close for most of the game, but I expect New England to mash the gas and pull away in the fourth quarter.
This prediction may seem a little obvious, but let me say clearly that the Eagles will have plenty of opportunities to win this Super Bowl on Sunday, and if Foles plays like he did against Minnesota, Philly may just pull this one out.
I just don’t think he will.
Sorry, not sorry.
Patriots 27, Eagles 10
Nick Foles is ready to finish what he started with the Eagles
MINNEAPOLIS – An NFL starting quarterback must command his quarterback room. The room serves as an offensive laboratory for the starter and his backups. Offensive coordinators and quarterback coaches have a presence, but the starting quarterback must own it.
Carson Wentz quickly learned to rule his room.
He steadily grew in it during his rookie Philadelphia Eagles season in 2016. This season he reigned in it. Backups Nick Foles and Nate Sudfeld watched as Wentz would hold the clicker, run the video, dissect the plays and blurt his insights. The room’s walls were filled with scribbled Eagles offensive plays. Foles and Sudfeld offered encouragement and additional views. But Wentz was the primary voice. He was the quarterback room axis.
On the sidelines during games this season, Foles and Sudfeld visually played the games in their heads and pondered -– “Wow, that was a great throw by Carson … so I’m guessing we’ll try this next … interesting call … that’s a nice way that Carson actually interpreted and executed that play … what do we do here? …..’’
This is what backup quarterbacks typically do during games. Mix and muse. Stay ready. Always a play away …
Down went Wentz against the Rams in Week 14 on Dec. 10 in Los Angeles. A knee injury. He would be out for the season.
In came Foles.
Foles told me that day in the Los Angeles Coliseum — after I mentioned that Eagles fans would be wondering if they are getting the guy who threw 27 touchdown passes in 2013 or the guy who has been invisible since — “Well, that guy is still here. Right here.’’
And now Foles and the Eagles are here in Super Bowl 52.
Foles helped the Eagles direct a fresh flight plan. He beat Atlanta and Minnesota in the playoffs and now meets New England in this championship clash. He confronts the Patriots and their quarterback jewel, Tom Brady.
Few think Foles can match Brady — let alone beat him.
But his Eagles teammates are convinced he can do it.
Wentz and Sudfeld says the conviction originated in the quarterback room. It has to happen there before it can happen on the field.
“It’s incredible, really,’’ Sudfeld said. “Nick knows he’s the guy. He’s the one in the quarterback room with the clicker now. He’s running the video. He’s doing the analysis. Carson and I listen, support. We offer tips. But Nick controls it. He’s embraced it. Now Carson and I play the games in our heads on the sidelines. We’re there like brothers for him. It’s his team, his offense, and he’s the starter in this Super Bowl. He’s rolling with it from the quarterback room to the field. It is an amazing thing to see.’’
In the NFL roles reverse.
Players come. Players go.
Sometimes they return.
Foles was drafted by the Eagles in 2012 and the following year produced that Pro Bowl season. The year afterward he was traded to the Rams. And the year after that he was cut by the Rams. He spent the 2016 season as a Kansas City backup.
He returned to the Eagles this season.
His journey seems impossible to him: a roundabout one that lands him back with his original team and in this Super Bowl. He was in tears thinking about it here this week when discussing the meaning of it for him and his family.
John DeFilippo, the Eagles’ quarterback coach, said during the team’s bye week that he asked Foles to study the offensive plays he liked and choose 25 he thought worked best for him. The plays and the concepts, too.
This helped lead to the Eagles creating a spicy package of run-pass option plays that suit Foles’ strengths. Since that emergency fill-in game at Los Angeles, the Eagles offense has continually morphed into one for Foles rather than for Wentz.
DeFilippo coaches demeanor as much as execution in his quarterbacks.
“I think body language matters,’’ DeFilippo said. “Our quarterbacks are taught that. We have body language fines, small ones, when they make mistakes in that area. I want the team to know that the quarterback is always in charge.’’
He said Foles is exuding that aura.
“I’m a different person than I was when I first came to Philadelphia,’’ Foles said. “I’ve grown. I’ve matured. I’ve been preparing all of my life for this moment.’’
The chance to lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl championship.
The Eagles are counting on Wentz’s healthy return for the 2018 season. He is their franchise quarterback. That is their plan. Wentz is their man.
That has nothing to do with this moment, this Foles moment. Foles was brought back to Philadelphia for insurance. Foles knows it is time to cash in.
It takes ownership and leadership to do it. It requires aggressive and elite play to foil Brady and the Patriots.
Eagles right guard Brandon Brooks is in his sixth NFL season. He has watched as the Eagles offense has evolved around Foles. He has watched Foles grow comfortable, embrace it.
From backup to starter demands command moments.
From the quarterback room to the field, there is something distinctive about Foles.
“It’s his class, character, leadership, command of the huddle, his willingness to do what is asked of him — man, this is just a very good dude,’’ Brooks said. “He puts in the extra time. He’s come back to Philadelphia to finish what he started.’’
How the Eagles can win with Nick Foles at quarterback
A guide to dealing with another Patriots trip to the Super Bowl
So here we are again. The New England Patriots are back in the Super Bowl, a development even non-Tony Romos could’ve predicted.
If you’re a Patriots fan, then congratulations on the dynasty getting dynastier. If you’re not a Patriots fan, you’d probably rather have a colonoscopy than sit through yet another Tom Brady-Bill Belichick supervillain Super Bowl.
The Patriots hate isn’t confined to any single team or conference. It’s widespread and the inevitable result of a team so dominant that it makes eight Super Bowls in 18 years. You may wish that we had any matchup other than Patriots-Eagles (again) or that that asteroid would hit Earth before we’re subjected to a smug-looking Robert Kraft clutching another Lombardi Trophy.
But just because the Patriots are there again doesn’t mean you have to skip the game and rewatch the Puppy Bowl. This year’s Super Bowl, even if it feels like the Patriots are as played out as “Dilly Dilly,” can still be enjoyable.
If you’re struggling to find ways to embrace it, we’re here to help.
Tom Brady Super Bowls are always instant classics
Every single Tom Brady Super Bowl has been decided in the final minute, and every. single. one. has been AWESOME.
The most memorable is also the most recent. Just last year, Brady overcame a 28-3 deficit to surge back and beat the Falcons 34-28 in the first overtime in Super Bowl history. But the guy actually makes a habit of doing this in Super Bowls. He earned three of his five rings — Super Bowl LI, Super Bowl XLIV, and Super Bowl XXXVII — on late-game comebacks.
Maybe you hate the Patriots. But who doesn’t love a great game?
Nobody gives better press conferences than Bill Belichick
Everyone knows that Belichick isn’t going to divulge anything that could even remotely be a competitive advantage for the Eagles. That won’t stop reporters from asking the questions, which means we’ll get to enjoy a bunch of classic Belichickian one-liners between now and the Super Bowl.
And hey, there’s always the chance he starts waxing poetic about an esoteric special teams formation.
Any given Patriots player could be a highlight machine
The Patriots have an eye-rolling, if scarily accurate, motto: next man up. Like in the AFC Championship, if one player goes down (Rob Gronkowski), another will step up (Danny Amendola) to deliver a clutch moment when the team needs it:
In last year’s Super Bowl, it was Julian Edelman’s catch. And it was James White’s record-setting game. Oh yeah, and Dont’a Hightower was the unsung hero (again).
Two of those players, Edelman and Hightower, are injured this time around. But it doesn’t matter. We know what Brady can do, but as unbelievable as it seems, he can’t do it alone. At least one of his teammates — bet the over — will come up big. You just don’t know which one(s) it’ll be yet.
Tom Brady might be superhuman
The fingers feature the most concentrated groupings of nerve endings in the entire human body. Put into layman’s terms, that means that if you cut your thumb badly enough to need 12 stitches to fix it, it’ll hurt like hell. Tom Brady won a conference championship with a terribly painful injury to his throwing hand, and he brushed it off after the fact.
Oh, and let’s not forget that Brady’s still kicking everyone’s ass at age 40. That gives hope to all of us.
On the other hand, it could be Tom Brady’s last Super Bowl
It may seem like Brady is aging in reverse or a vampire or siphoning talent from younger quarterbacks through some kind of witchcraft. But his career is going to end at some point.
Brady hopes to continue to play until he’s 45 and maybe he will. But there’s also the real possibility that his matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles will be his last Super Bowl. And since that could wind up being the case, you should do your best to appreciate his remarkable career and its potential last time in the spotlight, no matter how much you’re sick of it.
One last hurrah for Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Bill Belichick
Super Bowl LII will be the last time offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will call plays for the Patriots.
Patricia’s rising star will lead him to the Lions, where he’ll attempt to guide a historically futile franchise into the spotlight in a competitive NFC North. McDaniels will get his second shot as a head coach with a hopefully healthy Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.
It’s deja vu for the Patriots. They faced off against the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX knowing that it would be the last stand for then-OC Charlie Weis and DC Romeo Crennel.
History may show this New England team had four NFL head coaches — including linebackers coach Brian Flores, who landed a few interviews after the 2017 season — on its sideline Sunday. That’s a treasure chest of coaching talent — even if Belichick disciples haven’t exactly lit the world on fire after leaving Foxborough.
Will we hear anything more about the supposed feud?
The Patriots won’t get distracted in the two weeks before the Super Bowl. They’re too much of robots seasoned pros for that. Buuuuuut, maybe we’ll get some more juicy gossip about the reported feud centered on Belichick’s distrust of Brady’s personal snake oil salesman guru?
Since that ESPN report came out, the Patriots haven’t shown any signs of discord. But if potty-mouthed Brady erupts on the sideline at any point, expect the rumor mill to start heating up again:
Kenny Britt might get a Super Bowl ring
Britt signed a four-year, $32.5 million contract with the Browns this offseason, catching only 18 passes in nine games before he was unceremoniously cut basically the second that new general manager John Dorsey was hired. It can’t feel great to be released by a team that went 0-16 this year, but we doubt Britt is complaining.
James Harrison gets another chance to stick it to the Steelers
Maybe this story isn’t especially heartwarming — particularly for Steelers fans. The veteran linebacker sulked his way out of Pittsburgh, where he’d played in just five games before disrupting enough team meetings to earn his release. Then he defected to the Steelers’ biggest non-Ravens rival: the Patriots.
But Harrison hasn’t just been a source of intel on the Steelers. He’s been an important part of the Patriots’ postseason success. In two playoff games — one start — he’s contributed six tackles (including a fourth-quarter pressure that led to a strip-sack of Blake Bortles), been a useful edge-setter in the team’s pass rush, and even added support in the passing game.
More importantly, Harrison is a nonconformist who refused to join his team at the White House back when Barack Obama was in charge. Hearing what he might have to say about President Donald Trump could push his rhetoric to new levels — assuming Trump sets aside his hostility toward the NFL and extends an invitation.
Get ready for Rob Gronkowski’s oft-ridiculous antics
Rob Gronkowski, a Pacific Rim Jaeger piloted by a litter of golden retriever puppies, has long been one of the league’s most notable personalities. On the field, he’s a mismatch-creating monster whose blend of size and speed makes him both virtually uncoverable AND a space-clearing run blocker. Off the field, he’s the guy who snickers at the thought of the number that follows 68 and hosts his own party cruise.
We missed his postgame contributions last winter after a back injury — an injury the Patriots overcame en route to a Super Bowl title. A head injury kept him from the second half of this year’s AFC title game and robbed us of any new Gronk celebrations — say, eating pineapple leaves and all or attempting to shotgun a bottle of Veuve. God willing, that won’t be the case in Minneapolis.
Tom Brady’s much more relatable than you think
Sure, you don’t have an UGGs endorsement, or a supermodel wife, or a Make America Great Again hat in your locker. But in some ways, Brady is just like you.
Who among us doesn’t have some history of regrettable hairstyle choices? Well, so does Brady: