Fifth Down

We kick off Super Bowl week with some fun. Every year some famous or semi famous person comes out at halftime dances around, sings a few songs and creates a lot of jobs for people putting things on the field and then taking them back off again 20 minutes later. It makes the whole extravaganza event that much more special or painful depending on the game and show. I’ve been watching the Super Bowl since the super bowl shuffle in 85. These are what I think are the top 10 most memorable performances I have seen. Enjoy.

10. Super Bowl XLII Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

It was fitting that the Heartbreakers played at half time as this was the Super Bowl that the 18-0 New England Patriots finally lost. I know most of my readers probably rejoiced as the Patriots were a hated team even then. But if you know me at all, you know one of the things that bugs me the most is the 72 Dolphins celebrating together every time the last undefeated team loses. I won’t rant too much about this, but lets just say I am not big on celebrating other people’s defeats. Unless it is the Raiders, Bengals or Cowboys of course. Anyway, this was a great game with a historical loss so Tom Petty sort of got lost in the fray. Danielle and I had just moved to Minnesota and were still in corporate housing in downtown Minneapolis where it was like -25 degrees outside. If you have never been to Minneapolis then you don’t know that there are tunnels for people to walk around to get from one building to the next because it is so cold. Danielle calls them the gerbil tunnels. Anyway, this was prior to kids and we didn’t know anyone so Danielle and I watched together and had fun despite the team I was cheering for losing. Part of the fun was watching my boy Tom Petty perform. I have so much respect for anyone who is that ugly that can find a way to be that successful. I also appreciate the fact that they didn’t mess around with crap songs or new stuff. American Girl, I won’t back down, Free Fallin and Running down a dream and then they were out. I still argue that if you had to pick one artist to listen too while driving across the country it would be Tom Petty. 

9. Super Bowl LII Justin Timberlake

This was another loss by the Patriots this time to Nick Foles and the Eagles. I have mixed emotions about Timberlake in general. The dude can flat out perform which you have to appreciate. Some friends of ours bought Danielle and I tickets to see him around this time. We went to see him and the show I think was supposed to start around 8 pm. I am pretty sure he didn’t come out until like 11. No opening act. I mean, you are talented but come on. 3 hours later he rolls out. Plus in 2017 I was 38. I’m in bed by 11 pm, bro. Starting that late was enough to make me cry a river. You can’t deny the arrogance but you can’t deny the talent, either. Dude puts on a good show and the Super Bowl was no exception. He is also the only musician to find his way on this list multiple times. Unfortunately none of those times were renditions of his songs with the lonely island gang.

8. Super Bowl LIV Shakira and J-Lo

I like Shakira. She seems nice. Plus her hips don’t lie and I like an honest woman. On a side note, this was the first time I saw the Chiefs win the Super Bowl and I remember everything about this game including Shakira.

7. Super Bowl XLIX Katy Perry

Katy also had guests Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot join her. I remember there being people dressed up as animals and lots of moving elements. It really was quite a big show which was pretty cool. It was a good time and my wife liked it and that is always a win. 

6. Super Bowl LI Lady Gaga

Speaking of things my wife liked, I give you the Lady Gaga halftime show. After a barrage of performances of artists bringing out special guests and bands, Lady Gaga said, I got this. I don’t need anyone else. She is a weird person but she can sing and she can perform. She sang parts of almost all of her hits and put on a tremendous show. My wife was very pleased. 

5. Super Bowl LV The Weekend

Remember, this list is most memorable, not the best. I don’t particularly like The Weekend. Well, I mean I love the actual weekend but I am not a big fan of the musician The Weekend. But I won’t forget this show. Not because it was good but because it was weird and awkward because there was hardly anyone at the show. Quite honestly this will probably go down as my least favorite Super Bowl. The Chiefs lost in a blow out. Covid was in full effect. And I am not a fan of Covid. And the Weekend performed to an empty stadium making sure that all the performers stayed 6 feet apart or whatever the nonsense was at the time. Was it good? No. Will I forget it? No matter how hard I try to forget that dreadful day I cannot. 

4. Super Bowl LVI Dr. Dre and company

After recovering from the Chiefs self destructing second half in the AFC Championship, I was able to enjoy exactly two parts of this Super Bowl. The first was the halftime show and the second was Joe Burrow and his smug little face and all his cocky teammates losing. Little known fact about me but I love gangsta rap, particularly 90’s gangsta rap. So this was the perfect show for me. Dr. Dre, Snoop and Eminem…what more could you ask for? Well I could ask for less Kendrick Lamar in the show but hey, we can’t have it all. This also created one of my favorite all time memes where there is a picture of the guy from Pawn Stars and a customer asking for a Tupac hologram and the Pawn Star guy responds, “best I can do is upside down fifty cent.”  The other great moment of this is when my wife said, “I was excited about this show because usually the halftime show is designed to the target audience of middle aged Americans and this is targeted at us instead. Then I realized we are middle aged Americans.” Anyway, this was a great overall halftime show. 

3. Super Bowl XXVII Michael Jackson

I remember this being a big deal. Before MJ, most of the halftime shows were bands and had some sort of theme. MJ doesn’t need a band or a theme. He was freaking Michael Jackson after all. This was 1993 so this was back when people were trying to figure out why he looked different but prior to people trying to figure out if he did bad things to kids. He is arguably the greatest performer of all time and the show did not disappoint. Rewatching it now, I am like the camera work isn’t great and the audio should be better. But in 1993 we were still watching stuff on box TVs and I didn’t even have cable yet. So at the time it was epic. And it changed the halftime shows forever. 

2. Super Bowl XXXVIII Janet Jackson and her boob

Sure, P Diddy, Kid Rock, Nelly and Jessica Simpson were involved but no one can tell you what they did or what they sang. But we all remember Timberlake and Janet dancing and singing seductively and then Timberlake ripping off a part of her outfit to reveal her boob. Once the repercussions came rolling in they tried to pawn it off as a wardrobe malfunction which it obviously was not. To make the moment more awkward I was at a Super Bowl party with kids watching with us. The moment happened fast but it was enough for everyone at the party to feel real awkward about it. If you thought it was uncomfortable watching Shakira dance around with that rope thing, imagine what it would be like if her boob fell out. Wait…don’t imagine that. Forget I said that. Anyway, if we are ranking the most memorable halftimes this would probably be #1 on most people’s list. But it comes in #2 for me. 

1. Super Bowl XXXVI U2

There is really nothing funny here. This was just a moment I will never forget. It was the Super Bowl following 9/11. U2 played Its a Beautiful Day followed by MLK and The Streets Have No Name. Usually the halftime show is a mix of little bits of lots of songs. But this was something different. During the music the names of the victims of the 9/11 scrolled behind them. It was a powerful moment and at the end Bono popped his jacket open to reveal the American Flag. It was an amazing tribute to the fallen. U2 is one of my favorite bands and the Streets Have No Name is probably my favorite song. It was an epic performance from an epic band at a moment where our country needed unity. Ironically Janet Jackson was scheduled to perform but because they had to change the date of the game due to the 9/11 events, Janet couldn’t do the event. We are all lucky that we got Bono flashing us the American flag instead of Janet flashing us her boob. 

The playoffs are over and there is just one game left, the Super Bowl. But we have to wait a whole other week to watch the big game. But never fear, there is still Football this weekend as we have the Pro Bowl event. There are skill position games, the Manning brothers are there and the whole thing concludes with a Flag Football game so none of the players get hurt. Fun fact, I once broke my face playing flag football. So without further ado, let me give you my insights and predictions for the Pro Bowl.

Pro Bowl on ESPN @ sometime on Sunday…I think.

Just kidding, I am not analyzing this thing. Literally, no one cares about this besides Eli and Peyton. Enjoy your football free weekend. Go for a walk, take your significant other on a date, read a book. Enjoy your weekend and get ready for Super Bowl Extravaganza of blogs this week leading up to the big game.

And then there were 2. The Chiefs and 49ers are headed to the Super Bowl. I’ll have lots of Super Bowl shenanigans all next week just like last year. But for now lets get to some reactions from this week’s games. 

1. The Chiefs D is legit:

The whole week all we heard about was how great the Ravens defense is. I knew the Chiefs would take that personally. Besides a couple of plays, they dominated the first half. Then in the second half they executed bend but don’t break coming up with massive plays when they mattered most. They have given up 32 total points in the second half of the last 8 games. The Ravens have been rolling everyone and they just held them to 10 points. After several years of the defense being the liability they are now the strength of the team. 

2. McCaffrey should be the MVP:

Look Lamar has had a fine season. But it feels like we are basically rewarding him for no longer sucking at passing. He’s a quarterback, he is supposed to be good at throwing. I know the MVP is a regular season award but on the biggest stage he fell flat again. McCaffrey on the other hand is the most important player on the best team in the NFC. He’s been dominant throughout the year and has a touchdown in like 147 straight games or something. He is the only non QB who can impact a game at a QB level. He was phenomenal in the championship game and all year long.

3. Best running team in the league decides not to run the ball:

Look, Lamar didn’t play great. But what were the Ravens thinking? The ran the ball 16 times the whole game. They handed the ball off 6 times to their running backs. It was like the whole point of the game was to show that Lamar is a good passer. Spoiler alert, he’s not that good. I am baffled by their play calling. Especially since if there is a weakness to the Chiefs D it is defending the run. Their Offensive Coordinator might need a new job after this one.

4. Dan Campbell loses for being Dan Campbell:

I understand the argument of do what got you here. The Ravens should have followed that advice. The problem is that sometimes who got you here is not who you should be in certain moments. The Lions have built their team on taking risks. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. I get it. Here is the problem. Sometimes you have to make a conservative call. There were two calls that I really questioned. The first was going for it on 4th and 3 down 27-24. You have given up 20 unanswered points. You can tie the game and finally get something positive to happen for the first time all half. But instead you don’t get it and then the 49ers go down and score and you are down 10. The even worse call was on 3rd and goal with around a minute left you decide to run the ball. They didn’t get it and then you have to waist a timeout. This all but ends the game because you don’t have 3 timeouts to stop the clock and force the 49ers to at least get a first down. Just a terrible decision. They would have probably lost anyway but they would have at least had a shot. 

5. Patrick Mahomes is real good at football but playoff Pat is unreal:

He is 14-3 as a starter. He has gone to 6 straight AFC championship games. He hasn’t lost a non super bowl playoff game in regulation. He is now undefeated on the road. He has won 4 AFC Championship games and headed to his 4th super bowl. He is at his best in the biggest moments. He does whatever is needed to help his team win. He’s not perfect. I’m not saying he is the goat. I am saying he is by far the best player in the league and he is even better when it matters most. And somehow he ended up on my team. 

6. Lions are still losers:

Some teams are winners and some teams are losers. It happens every week in the NFL. But franchises are either winners or losers as well. It is hard to break through to the other side. The Lions are obviously not there yet. This is not a knock on the Lions. The Chiefs were in the same boat. In the 80s the team was a disaster. In the 90s the team was good but could never get over the hump. The 2000’s were filled with ups and downs. Then Andy Reid showed up. Then Patrick Mahomes showed up and everything changed. The same was true for the Patriots and Seahawks and other organizations that were bad for a long time. The Lions hadn’t won a playoff game since 1991. They haven’t won a championship since 1957. This was a nice season but they are not over the hump. A nice next step would be to make the playoffs again next year. But until they can win consistently or win something significant they are still losers. Lovable losers but losers none the less.

7. Road Warriors:

I think perhaps the worst thing that could have happened to the AFC was the Chiefs not getting the 1 seed. These guys over the past year have played so many extra games. In fact, over the past 6 years they have played a whole other season (17 games). It is tiring to play 3 or 4 extra games year in and year out. Homefield advantage is great but I think the Chiefs needed something new to ignite the team. They enjoyed being the villains, being booed, playing in a hostile environment. They embraced it all and bullied their way to another championship. They overcame the odds in Vegas, the Mahomes has never won on the road, they have never played in hostile enviroments like Buffalo and Baltimore, etc. etc.  They heard all the noise and rallied around it. I am honestly not sure they make it to the Super Bowl if they play those games at home.

8. Purdy was Purdy good:

I wouldn’t say I have been hard on Brock, but I have said and still say he is limited. He’s a good quarterback and with this team, you can win a lot of games when you are limited. He has a lot of weapons he can get the ball to. He’s also a smart kid and does a nice job managing the offense. What impressed me on Sunday was how he used his legs. He ran when he needed to and showed a lot of heart. He also showed a lot of composure handling a 17 point deficit coming out of the half. And for all the accolades we pour on Pat, we must remember that Brock is now 4-1 as a playoff starter and his one loss he barely played in the game. Now the question is can he win the game on the biggest stage.

9. The league is not rigged:

I saw the leaked script but it was incorrect. I also saw blame on the refs for the Ravens loss which is ridiculous. People are comparing what Kelce did after the TD to what Zay Flowers did to get a penalty. Travis stood up and looked in the defender’s direction and then turned away to spike the ball. He then sort of looked back at the defender but wasn’t all that close to him. Zay Flowers got up and pushed Sneed as he did so, stood directly over him and spun the ball by his head. Not the same thing. Travis also was an instigator all game. But it is always the second guy who gets caught. This is common knowledge. Also, they didn’t actually throw a flag on the second or even third guy. Van Noy hit Kelce’s helmet with his own. This will be a flag 100% of the time. All the other penalties on the Ravens were legitimate as well. What really happened was the Ravens tried to be the bully but the Chiefs didn’t care and so it didn’t work. In fact, quite early on the Chiefs used it against them by instigating and getting them pissed off and then they made bad decisions. Also, the league didn’t rig it to get Taylor Swift to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs beat the Ravens in every phase of football. That is all that happened. Being the regular season champ doesn’t mean you are the best team when it matters. The Ravens have proven this twice in the Lamar era.

10. Biden vs Trump Bowl:

If most of the population could have ranked their preferred super bowl match ups this one probably would have finished last. This will be the 49ers 8th trip and we all know that the world hates the Chiefs outside of Chiefs Kingdom. And on top of all that it is a match up that we just saw a few years ago. I am not here to muddy the waters or talk politics but I think we can all agree that most of the population is not exactly stoked for the Biden vs Trump rematch. Sure there are some people who really love Trump just like people really love the Chiefs. And then there are people who really hate Trump just like people really hate the Chiefs. Those people will be voting for Biden and cheering for the 49ers. But no one outside of Trump supporters and Trump haters is going to be real excited about the inevitable election of 2024. The same is sort of true of the Super Bowl this year. Luckily for me, I get to play the role of overly enthusiastic supporter for the big game.  But don’t worry my face won’t be painted, I won’t be wearing a big horn hat and I won’t be anywhere near the capital. I will be wearing my lucky Chiefs gear, drinking beer out of my Chiefs cup and running around my house handing out high fives anytime the Chiefs do something good. So when you are mad when the Chiefs are winning, just picture me being ridiculous and you will feel a little bit better about the villain winning. 

Next week there will be a Super Bowl Themed post each week day. So get ready for a Super Fifth-Down Week in preparation for the Super Bowl. And in the mean time, check out my pro bowl predictions later this week. 

And here we are, the last multiple game week of the football season. We have only 4 teams left. What happens this Sunday will determine the Super Bowl participants in Vegas. Will the last game of the season be the same as the first game, with the Lions and Chiefs playing? Will it be a rematch of Patrick Mahomes first super bowl with the Chiefs facing the 49ers? Will it be Dirty Detroit vs crime ridden Baltimore? Or will the leaked script prove to be true with the 49ers and Ravens battling it out. Well, here is my confession, the only thing I know for sure is Usher is doing the half time show, YEAH! But I am always here to make some ill advised predictions that you should probably not use for betting purposes. So let’s dive into the big games.

MVP vs MVPat: Chiefs @ Ravens on CBS @ 1 PM Mountain Time:

I am not sure what is going to happen in this game but I am confident that the winner of this is going to be the Super Bowl Champs. The Ravens have been the best team in the league for the majority of the year. They dominated the best of the best teams and most recently added a dominating playoff win over the Texans. They have the best defense in the league and the MVP of the year. It seems like the Ravens should win this easily. But the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs are showing up playing their best football of the year. They are playing in their 6th straight conference championship game but their first one on the road. This game should be a great battle. You have the top 2 defenses, 2 two time MVP’s, great coaches and arguably the two most clutch kickers in the league. 

Reasons for the Chiefs to have hope: They have playoff Pat, the defense never gives up more than 7 points in the second half, they have a hall of fame coach and are playing their best football of the year.

Reasons for the Ravens to have hope: They have pretty much dominated all the good teams they have played. They have a dangerous and mobile running back who can throw the ball and an elite defense and don’t really have any injuries.

Prediction: Lots of people are predicting the Ravens to win in a blowout. There is just one problem the Chiefs don’t really get blown out. They don’t blow out anyone either. So look for another close game. The Ravens have more talent. The Chiefs have the best player in the league. Both defenses are top notch and good at making adjustments at halftime. I think this game comes down to whoever has a chance to kick last. The Chiefs drive down late and Butker hits a 41 yarder to take the lead by 3. With a minute left in the game, the Chiefs defense keeps the Ravens from crossing midfield and everyone who isn’t a Chiefs fan is really upset as Pat and the gang head back to the Super Bowl once again. 

Chiefs 27 Ravens 24

The Team that never makes it vs the The team that always makes it: Lions @ 49ers on Fox @ 4:30 Mountain Time

The 49ers are arguably the most successful franchise in the NFC. They won their first 5 super bowls and have been to 7 overall. The Lions have never been to a Super Bowl and in fact haven’t played in a championship game since 1957. That is quite the championship drought. And it isn’t like they have been close a bunch of times or ever really. I believe this is only their second Conference Championship game. The 49ers have arguably the best roster in the NFL. The Lions have the “we are due” mantra on lock. The 49ers defense is clearly better. However, the Lions have a great O-line and great skill guys. Both teams have good but limited quarterbacks. This should be another good game. 

Reasons for the Lions to have hope: I mean they haven’t won since 1957! They are the only franchise that has been operational for the entirety of the Super Bowl era to never make the super bowl. They are due. They can’t like never ever win, right? 

Reasons for the 49ers to have hope: They are playing the Lions. They haven’t won since 1957. Why would they start now? 

Prediction: According to Vegas, the 49ers have not only the best odds to win this game but also the best odds to win the Super Bowl. But as the wise Han Solo once said…”Never tell me the odds!” My gut is right more than it isn’t and my gut says the Lions find a way to get it done. Purdy is good but not great and Shanahan tends to struggle most when it matters most. Maybe the Packers game scared them straight and they come out and take care of business but it just feels like the Lions team is a little thing of destiny. I mean…it’s been since 1957 after all. In a matter of 3 years, Dan Campbell goes from biting ankles to going to the Super Bowl.

Lions 31 49ers 27

And there you have it. The season will end the same way it started with the Chiefs and the Lions facing off. Almost seems scripted doesn’t it? The NFL leaked the scripted game between the 49ers and Ravens but it was a fake to prove that the NFL isn’t scripted. But they can’t trick this guy as I know that the script was a hoax and the real script was this rematch between the Chiefs and Lions. I’m on to you NFL script writers! You can’t fool me. Let’s see if I get proved right. 

As always, the Divisional round did not disappoint. The only blow out was the Ravens over the Texans and that game was tied 10-10 at the half. The other 3 games came down to the wire and were very competitive. It was fun to watch and now we are down to the 4 final teams. Also, I went 4 for 4 with my predictions, which was nice. Here are my reactions from the Divisional round and my rankings of best chance to win the Super Bowl.

1. The Ravens have the best all around team:

I don’t know how you can determine anything else at this point. The can run the ball, they can throw the ball. Their defense is smothering. Lamar is still not an elite passer despite what the media wants you to believe but he is much better and he is so mobile that he is extremely dangerous. The receivers are much improved and again, that defense is just top notch. I think they are beatable but they have taken it to all the top teams of late. 

2. Brock Purdy is good not great.

I like Brock so I am no hater here. He is a great story and has done a nice job for them. He is just limited. He is a younger, healthier Jimmy G. He is not great from playing from behind and missed a lot of throws throughout the game. The 49ers have a good D and amazing skill guys but even when one of them is down it makes Purdy struggle. Also, McCaffrey should be the MVP. That dude is amazing.

3. Bucs, Packers and Texans should be proud. 

My wife said yesterday, “I don’t think anyone predicted the Bucs and the Lions playing each other this late in the season.” I sure didn’t. The Bucs made it farther with Baker than they did with Tom Brady last year with a lot of the same team otherwise. Baker had a good game overall but costly turnovers kept them from having a shot to win. The Texans ran into a buzz saw in the second half against the Ravens. But after winning 4 games last year, they have nothing to be ashamed of. They need some more pieces but I like the Texans to be in the picture for a while. And the Packers really should have won Saturday night. They had so many missed opportunities. But as I told my son, Walker, they overachieved all year. They are so young but have a lot of the right pieces. And Matt LeFluer can coach. They had it there for the taking. They just need to grow up a little so they can take it.

4. The Ball rolling through the end zone as a touchback is a dumb rule. 

I’m not just saying that because it hurt my team. There have been other moments where it has helped my team. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. If a player fumbles the ball and it goes out of bounds they bring it back to where the player fumbled at. It seems logical to me that the same thing should happen here. I guess maybe more people would reach for the goal line or pylon with no fear of turning the ball over. That would be the negative but honestly no one is out there intentionally trying to fumble. The league will likely review it in the offseason as there are many that think the way I do. The rule just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Either way, after fumbling twice in the red zone, Hardman should no longer be a part of the goal line package. 

5. The Chiefs are built different.

My son likes this saying a lot “built different” and since he says it so much the whole family has adapted it into our vocabulary. This Chiefs team offensively has been bad most of the year. Teams don’t just start playing well in the playoffs. It is not how football works. By this time of year, you are who you are. Unless you are the Chiefs. The whole offense looks drastically better than it has all year. Pat looks great. The receivers are catching the ball. Even MVS had two monster catches. He bobbled them both but he still caught them. They have put up 27 points in back to back weeks and have moved the ball up and down the field. The penalties and drops are way down. And with the defense playing the way it is, you don’t have to score more than 27. But this turn around when it matters most is uncommon and should be appreciated. If the Chiefs somehow find a way to win it all, I think it means that us Chiefs fans can never question them again. 

Mostly likely to win the Super Bowl Rankings:

All of these teams are obviously great and any of them could win it but these are my rankings of who I think has the best chance to win it right now.

4. 49ers

They have an incredible team and they very well could win it all. But I have two major concerns. First, Purdy is limited and the worst QB left. Secondly, Kyle Shanahan does not have a good track record in the big game. I think he is more likely to make the wrong calls when it matters most than the others.

3. Lions

The 49ers probably have the better all around team but the Lions have great skill guys too. And they also have a great offensive line. Their defense does give up points though and that is why they are ranked where they are. But I trust Goff more than I do Purdy at this point. Plus, I mean come on, the Lions are due. 

2. Chiefs

I think an AFC team is winning the Super Bowl. I just don’t know which one. The Chiefs are finally playing well offensively. Pat has looked great the last two weeks. Kelce is getting open again. Rice has developed nicely and is a real weapon. But Pacheco is really the key. He may not break any 90 yard runs but he turns a lot of 2 yard runs into 8 yard runs. The defense has been phenomenal all year and the halftime adjustments have been outstanding. We haven’t given up more than 7 points in the second half in ages and haven’t given up 30 points all year. If it is close at the half, I like the Chiefs to beat whoever.

1.Ravens

The only defense I would take over the Chiefs is the Ravens. Their ability to run the ball is top notch and a big concern for the Chiefs this week. And then you add on Lamar’s mobility to go along with his improved throwing. They are a very dangerous team. They have been putting the smack down on top teams the last several weeks. I don’t know if they are going to win but if you had to put money on a team to win two more games the next 2 weeks, the safe money is on the Ravens. 

Tune in later this week for my predictions for the Conference Championships. 

I love the Divisional round. Typically Wild Card weekend is not as exciting and last weekend was no different. The Conference championship games are awesome but there is only 2 games. But the Divisional round is 4 games over 2 games and usually the games are awesome. This was less true last year. But the year before it was literally the greatest 4 game combo in NFL history. I don’t know what this weekend will bring but I will be watching and if you are reading this, you probably will be too. The good news is you don’t have to pay and/or describe to anything new to watch this week. So lets get into it.

A Great Rookie QB vs the Best Passing Running Back Ever: Texans @ Ravens 2:30 PM Mountain time on ESPN

The Texans just had an impressive victory over the Browns. However, the Browns have one like one play off game in the last 40 years. The Ravens had an impressive last few weeks of the season and dominated every good team they played. The Texans have a fun and energetic head coach that is hard not to like. The Ravens have a coach that has a face that you energetically want to punch (is that just me?). The Texans have a pesky defense that dominated a QB last week who was previously living on a run down house boat. (This is my last Joe Flacco/Shane Falco comparison of the year). The Ravens have a defense who have dominated the best offenses in football. The Texans have an outstanding throwing rookie quarterback named CJ Stroud. The Ravens have an outstanding throwing running back named Lamar Jackson. Lamar is going to win MVP because voters are stupid. Voters are the same reason that all the Sports Hall of Fame are a joke and the same reason we are about to have to choose between Trump and Biden…again. Seriously, America…what the hell are we doing here? Biden vs Trump 2.0 is like if the Raiders played the Cowboys in the Super Bowl. Except unfortunately for us, Trump and Biden can actually win something that matters. But no matter who wins, we still lose. The MVP should really go to McCaffrey. More on him later. But whatever, give it to Lamar. He is on the best team playing the best down the stretch. 

The Texans are used to warmer weather or playing in a dome. The high in Baltimore on Saturday is 24 degrees. The Ravens defense is legit and the offense has been pretty good. Lamar is better at throwing and can still run around. The Texans are pesky and fun to watch but I think they hit a wall on Saturday.

Texans reason for hope: They have overachieved all year long so why not overachieve on Saturday? They have a great young QB and coach and they will play hard.

Ravens reason for hope: They have more experience, better players, homefield advantage and the first non quarterback MVP in a while. 

Prediction: Look, the Texans have been fun and competitive all year. I think the future is bright in Houston. They are also playing Lamar who despite the fact that he is about to be MVP for the second time only has one playoff win. I would love for Lamar to have more MVPs than playoff wins but I think it will at least be a tie this year. The Ravens have seemed like they are on a mission for a while. I am not buying the Texans stopping that mission. After a close first half, the Ravens pull away.

Ravens 30 Texans 17

LaFluer vs his nemesis: Packers @ 49ers on Fox at 6:15 PM mountain time

Since taking over the Packers, LaFluer has made the playoffs every year but 1. The first year, they had a brutal loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship. The 49ers ran all over them. I think good lookin Jimmy G threw like 5 passes all game or something. The following year, they lost again in the conference championship to some guy named Tom Brady. Then the following year they were the 1 seed but lost at home to the 49ers again. LaFluer just can’t beat the 49ers. But I like LaFluer. I think he is a good coach. It’s amazing how good his offense looks with a young quarterback and young receivers compared to how it looked with an egomaniac who lives in caves and smokes peyote at QB throwing to all his washed up buddies. The Packers literally just put the smack down on the Cowboys last week. Can they do it again this week?

The 49ers are coming off their bye and are as healthy as they have ever been entering the playoffs. Every 49ers fan is knocking on wood right now in unison. When healthy they are as good as anyone and have the best roster in football. Brock Purdy does a nice job for them but their biggest concern is falling behind. If they fall behind they struggle. Purdy is not great at throwing the ball down field and hasn’t exactly been the comeback kid. However, in most of their losses there has been plenty of blame to go around. But they are at home and have a strong team. Assuming no one important gets hurt which is probably unlikely, they should be able to make a run at this thing. 

Reasons for the Packers to have hope: They are too young to know better and have nothing to lose and LaFluer is due against these guys.

Reason for the 49ers to have hope: They are more experienced, have a better defense, the best offensive weapon in the game and a coach who has had a lot of success against the Packers.

Prediction: The Packers will have to score early and often to have a shot at this one. I think it will be closer than most people expect but LaFluer will have to wait another year to seek his revenge.

49ers 34 Packers 27

The Former Losers game: Bucs @ Lions on NBC at 1 PM Mountain time:

For most of my life growing up these two teams were dumpster fires. In fact a lot of years of my adult life these teams have been terrible. The Bucs have had a couple good stretches. The Lions on the other hand, not so much. But look at them now. Hosting a divisional round game. The Lions got here by edging out the Rams by a point and the Bucs trounced the Eagles who quit 6 weeks ago. 

This is really a game about who do you doubt the least. I keep telling myself the Lions are a good team but I just can’t believe it. Do I really believe the Detroit Lions can make it to the NFC Championship? On the flipside, the Bucs finished 9-8 in the worst division in football. Do I really believe they are going to go on the road and win and make it to the NFC championship?

Also, do I believe in either one of these quarterbacks? They have both given me reason to do so, but they are still Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield. I just can’t believe that one of these teams is going to be playing next week for a shot at going to the Super Bowl. This will be an interesting game as both teams have strengths and weaknesses. 

Reason for the Bucs to have hope: They are playing the Detroit Lions.

Reasons for the Lions to have hope: They are playing the 9-8 Bucs at home.

Prediction: I don’t believe but I believe more in the Lions. They have the better running game and more explosive players. And I believe more in ankle biter Dan Campbell than I do Todd Bowles.

Lions 27 Buc 20

The Road playoff game: Chiefs @ Bills on CBS at 4:30 PM mountain time

Hey guys, did you know this is Patrick Mahomes first road playoff game? He has never played on the road before. I wonder how he will do playing on the road. He won’t be as good because he is on the road. You know he has never done this before. It’s a big deal.

This is the story apparently. But hey at least it is a break from Kelce and t-swift news. Anything to get a break from that. Anyway, the Chiefs head on the road after playing arguably their best game of the year that they get no credit for because it was cold outside and the Dolphins had some injuries on defense. I guess that was the reason the Dolphins only scored 7 points. All those injuries on defense really kept them from executing on offense. It had nothing to do with our D. 

The Bills on the other hand got blessed with some terrible first half play by the Steelers including a couple of turnovers and the fact that they were playing Mason Rudolph. The Bills are unstoppable though. So good that the Chiefs have no chance. I mean, Mahomes is playing on the road after all. 

I think the Bills are an excellent team. I like the Bills. But the Chiefs are getting no credit for one of the best defenses in the league. The Chiefs biggest issue right now is in the red zone. Whoever scores tds in the red zone and doesn’t turn it over will win this game. These teams are evenly matched so the key is not to make mistakes. The Chiefs have been making mistakes all year and Josh Allen can be quite the turnover machine. They saved the best for last, this should be a good one.

Reason for the Chiefs to have hope: Playoff Pat and the best defense I have seen in a long time for the Chiefs.

Reason for the Bills to have hope: Mahomes has to play on the road…duh.

Prediction: This should be a great game. Ironically, I’ll miss kick off while I am coaching my daughters basketball team. I am sure I won’t be distracted at all. I also have a choice to make. Do I just jump in live when I get home? Or do I watch from the beginning and fast forward through the commercials and play catch up? That would involve telling everyone not to text me until I am caught up, not getting on the internet or listening to the radio and turning off notifications on my phone. Decisions, decisions. I must admit that I have a pretty good gut feeling when it comes to the Chiefs. I’m not saying I am psychic or anything so don’t start wagering money on my predictions. But I am often right about the Chiefs. And I got a good feeling about this one. I don’t know if it is because everyone else hates them and thinks they will lose or the fact that Pat has never played a road game and a guy like that embraces that and rolls with it. I don’t know but I think we show up and play well. The Bills are a quality team and if the Chiefs do win I am sure it will be because of the injuries that the Bills have. But I’ll take playoff Pat in this spot. If the Bills win, I won’t be upset. I like the Bills. But I will be bummed. I might even cry but if I do cry it will only be for a short period of time. Probably only 13 seconds. 

Chiefs 27 Bills 20

There you have it. Tune in next week for reactions and predictions for championship weekend. 

Wild Card Weekend has come and gone and now we head to the divisional round but before we do, here is 5 reactions from the long weekend and new rankings of the 8 remaining teams.

1. Pass interference only happens in the regular season.

Besides the Rams game, I don’t think it really altered the results but after calling PI often during the regular season the refs decided to take a hands off approach while allowing the defenders to take a hands on approach. Hardman was obviously held and grabbed on a deep route. He probably still could have caught it if he would keep running instead of complaining though. Pickens got held up late in the Bills game on 4th down. I don’t think the Steelers were going to score twice so no harm, no foul especially the no foul part. The worst one was on Puka late in the Lions game when he was obviously grabbed while trying to get to the football. This cost the Rams the game. Now, there were other bad calls that went against the Lions and these things tend to even out. But it is always a bummer when that happens late and it doesn’t get called in a crucial moment. The Rams still had lots of other opportunities to win the game but that one was the most egregious to me.

2. Blowouts everywhere.

I obviously love football and had a blast watching the Chiefs game but even so these were mostly a snooze fest. It seems that this is typical where the division round is where things start to tighten up. Thanks to the Rams and Lions for playing the one close game over the weekend. And congrats to the Lions for winning their first playoff game since I was in 7th grade. 

3. How about dem boys.

The Cowboys since winning their last Super Bowl in 1990 something, they have been a playoff disaster. They had the two seed and a clear path to not have to play their nemesis the 49ers until the NFC Championship. So what did they do? They decided to lay an egg and be the first ever 2 seed to lose to a 7 seed. Props to the Packers for coming in and just dominating. This loss made me happy for 4 reasons. First, I hate the Cowboys. Secondly, my son is a huge Packers fan and when he is happy he is less of a mean teenage boy than normal. 3rd, I think it is funny that the Packers are literally doing what they couldn’t do with Aaron Rodgers last year. And finally, I am all for Skip Bayless being unhappy. He is the worst. I am always happy when his team falls a part. 

4. Speaking of falling apart…

What the hell happened to the Eagles? They were 10-1…earlier this season! They finish 11-7 and lost 6 of their last 7 games. Just brutal. They don’t tackle. AJ Brown is ready to revolt for some reason. All of the sudden their offensive line can’t block anyone. I think Nick Siranni might be unstable or something. The whole thing is a mess. It really makes you appreciate Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. I mean they went through a lot this year and a lot of problems and Mahomes even had a meltdown during the Bills game. But they stayed the course and stayed together. That is good leadership. 

5. Every weekend should be a 3 day weekend.

Having 2 playoff football games to watch 3 days in a row was awesome, even if they weren’t particularly good games. But what made it even better was not having to work for any of those days. It seems like we should always have 4 day weeks instead of 5 day work weeks. I think everyone would enjoy it and get more done. I know that some companies do this already but it just makes sense. If I ever run for President, I’ll suggest it. Also, I should run for President. 

8 teams remain! Here is the order of best shot to win the Super Bowl.

8. The Bucs

Look, Baker is a good story. The defense is playing well. But this is a team that is 2 weeks removed from only scoring 9 points against the Panthers and 3 weeks removed from getting their butts kicked by the Saints. So I am not putting a lot of weight into them dismantling the Eagles Train Wreck last night. 

7. The Texans

CJ Stroud is really good. Ryans has done an incredible job turning this once dysfunctional franchise into a competitor. They are young and talented. And I think they are here to stay. If they were in the NFC, I would rank them higher but I think they have perhaps the hardest path because they have to go to Baltimore and if they win, then they have to head to either KC or Buffalo. Stranger things have happened outside of Hawkins, Indiana but I think it will be a stretch for sure.

6. The Packers

The Packers played amazing and completely dominated the Cowboys. But lets remember that the Cowboys didn’t beat anyone good all year. Their best victory is the Eagles but the Eagles were in meltdown mode at that point. The Packers have the talent but they are young and probably won’t jump ahead so much like they did against the Cowboys. They have to go to San Fran this week who has been their nemesis in the playoffs as well. I think the 49ers are just too good to lose at home to the Packers. I have them ranked slightly hire than the Texans because if somehow they do win on Saturday it is easier for them to beat the Lions or Bucs than it is for the Texans to beat the Bills or Chiefs.

5. The Lions

From a standpoint of ease of schedule, the Lions should be higher. They edged out the Rams and now will host the Bucs who only one 9 games in the worst division in football. If they win they would either host the Packers or travel to San Fran. Neither is an easy task as the Lions lost to the Packers earlier this season at home the 49ers are very good. It’s not impossible. But let’s remember, they are still the Lions. 

4. The Chiefs

The Chiefs played their best game in a long time. The defense looked great and really only gave up one play. The offense looked solid. They moved the ball well and the penalties and drops were less and the only turnover came very late in the game when CEH gave up the ball. Pat played his best game in a while and the whole team was a lot like Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass and those other guys and as they seemed in sync. But can they do it two weeks in a row? And can they score more touchdowns instead of field goals in the red zone?

3. The Bills

I give the Bills a slight edge over the Chiefs because they are at home and they score more touchdowns. But Allen too has a knack for turning the ball over. Also, the Bills haven’t lost to the Chiefs since the 13 second game and both those games were in Arrowhead. Home field advantage is a thing. And I am sure the Mafia will be rocking. 

2. The Ravens

The Ravens dominated the 49ers earlier this year. So why are they ranked lower? Just a tougher path really.  I think the Texans are slightly better than the Packers and then I would take the Bills and Chiefs over the Lions and Bucs. So because of that, I think the Ravens have a more challenging path. Also, Lamar does not have a history of winning playoff games and the 49ers do.

1. The 49ers

They have in my mind the easiest path and the best roster. They play the 7 seed this week at home and assuming they win they would host the winner of the worst division in football or the Lions who never win anything. The key for the 49ers is not to fall behind. They are not great at playing catch up. 

Tune in later this week for my divisional round thoughts and predictions.

We did the AFC Yesterday and today it is the NFC. It is later than I wanted but to be fair, you and everyone else is going to be inside for the next few days so this will give you something to read while you are trying to stay warm. Also, apparently there is going to be like a foot of snow for the Bills game so that’ll be fun. On to the NFC.

The team my son loves vs the team everyone hates: Packers @ Cowboys 2:30 PM (mountain time) Sunday on Fox

In the 90s these games were battles. In fact through the history of the NFL the Packers and Cowboys have battled. These are two of the most historical and successful franchises. However, lately success hasn’t come easy or often. Both teams have struggled to have playoff success.  The Packers made it the conference championship a couple of years recently only to fall short. The Cowboys finally made it to the divisional round last year and then lost to the 49ers after arguably the worst last second play ever. You remember when Ezekiel Elliot played center? 

The Cowboys have done a great job beating bad teams. The Packers were the last team in and have the youngest roster in the league. This game should be a fun one. Both offenses are pretty good and both defenses seem to be susceptible to good offenses. The Packers have been playing well down the stretch. And the Cowboys are known chokes. 

Reason for the Packers to have hope: They have a lot of good, young offensive weapons, a smart coach and they are playing a team that consistently underachieves in the playoffs.

Reason for the Cowboys to have hope: they have the better roster, the better defense, more experience and are playing at home.

Prediction: As much as I want to pick the Packers, I just don’t see them going into to Dallas to win. I think it will be a good back and forth game but in the end Dallas will be too much for the young Packers. 

Cowboys 34 Packers 24

The unwanted QB game: Rams @ Lions 6:15 PM mountain time on Sunday on NBC

NBC gets yet another game. Not sure why the get all the fun on Wild Card weekend. This one should also be a fun game. Matthew Stafford comes home to the place where he spent most of his career before getting shipped to LA and winning a Super Bowl. In that trade, the Lions got a bunch of draft picks and as a consolation prize or as a favor to the Rams, Jared Goff. The Rams were over Goff and his insufficiencies. The Lions were over having a good quarterback and still losing 12 games every year. So everyone won here. Goff has played well, especially the last two years.

Detroit hasn’t won a playoff game since the 1991 season. To put that in perspective I was in 7th grade. Spoiler alert, I am not young. The Rams on the other hand are 2 years removed from winning a Super Bowl pretty much immediately after leaving St. Louis. Lesson here is leave St. Louis. Both teams have a lot of good weapons and good players. I think this will be a really fun game to watch. Even more fun if the Packers win because I won’t have an angry, mopey teenager in my house. Well not more angry or mopey than normal anyway. 

Reason for the Rams to have hope: The Rams lack depth but no one is really injured. The finished the season very strong. They have a well balanced offense and some solid defensive guys and a very smart coach.

Reason for the Lions to have hope: I mean it has been 32 years since they won a playoff game. No one can go much longer than that without winning a playoff game. It’s just Math. Plus they have some really solid players and a coach that I find sort of annoying but has turned the whole franchise around.

Prediction: Dan Campbell, although annoying, has a great last name and has turned this thing around. They will be ready and excited to play and will play hard for 4 quarters. But the Rams have just as much talent if not more and more experience both on the roster and on the coaching staff. Give me the Rams in a close one, but I won’t be mad if I am wrong. 

Rams 31 Lions 27

Super Bowl Chumps vs the best of the worst: Eagles @ Bucs at 6:15 PM on ESPN

The Eagles came very close to winning the Super Bowl last year but fell just short to some team. Who was that again? Oh yeah. Since starting the season 10-1 the Eagles have been an utter disaster. They finished 11-6 and lost to the Cardinals and Giants in back to back weeks. Whoops. Despite finishing the season 1-5 they would have still had a 2 game lead in the lowly NFC South. The Bucs have won the division 3 times in a row despite being 17-17 the last two seasons. But hey, at least this year they had a winning record. 

The Eagles players are apparently all whining and complaining and not getting along. I wouldn’t be either if I had just lost to the Cardinals and the Giants in back to back weeks with the division on the line. On the flip side the Bucs are probably pretty pumped to be hosting a playoff game and they have rallied around Baker. And it would be funny to see Baker take basically the same team further than Tom Brady did. Typically the Super Bowl loser has not faired well. But the Chiefs and Bengals broke that trend the last couple of years as they lost to each other by 3 points in the AFC Championship the last 2 years. Can the Eagles make a run as the past two losers did? Or will they fall back into the normal trend and fall short early?

Reason the Eagles have hope: They have a talented roster. Talented enough to make a deep run and certainly talented enough to beat a team that just beat the worst team in the league 9-0 and only won 9 games all year. 

Reason the Bucs have hope: They are playing the Eagles…at home. 

Prediction: It is really hard for me to envision either of these teams winning a playoff game. The Eagles seem like a dumpster fire on wheels and the Bucs literally wouldn’t be in the playoffs if they played in any other division. My daughter is an Eagles fan so I will be happy if they win. At the same time she is really a fan of football being over so she won’t care that much and I am always game for Nick Sirianni meltdown. It won’t be pretty but I think the Bucs pull it off at home.

Bucs 20 Eagles 17

There you have it. Mark it down, I am never wrong. Next week’s match ups will be:

Bucs @ Cowboys

Rams @ 49ers

Chiefs @ Bills

Browns @ Ravens

Tune in next week for reactions from Wild Card weekend and predictions for the divisional round. Stay warm everybody!

Since all the AFC games are first, followed by all the NFC games, I decided to break the post accordingly. I’ll give you my take on what will happen this weekend. I’m not always right but I am seldom always wrong. Let’s get started.

The battle of cursed franchises: Elves @ Texans Saturday on NBC at 2:30 Mountain time (your job to figure out where you live)

The post season kicks off with two teams everyone thought would make it to the post season, the elves (Browns) and the Texans. The Texans have really been a disaster since they last were in the playoffs when they gave up a 24-0 lead and lost 51-31 to some team…who was it? I can’t remember. Anyway, after a losing season the following year, Watson’s massage extravaganza, and multiple bad coaching hires they seemed to have found their way. Demeco Ryans seems to be the guy but they really should be thinking Lovie Smith who led their team to one too many victories landing them in the 2 spot instead of the first pick of the draft. I know some of it is circumstantial but CJ Stroud was drastically better than Bryce Young and it’s not close. The Texans have a lot of young talent, unfortunately a good portion of it is injured. They do play at home which is nice. 

This should be the return of massage boy but he is injured and kind of sucked when he was healthy. So they dragged Joe Flacco off his crappy house boat and all he has done is completely balled out. It is literally one of the more bizarre things I have seen. I mean if they had brought him in sooner they might be the one seed. The Elves nickname is literally the only good thing Jamaar Chase has ever brought to the table. But Chase is sitting at home and the Browns are playing so who is laughing now? They have a solid roster but think how much better it could be if they weren’t spending 50 million on Watson to sit in the stands or where ever he is. It’s Flacco’s team now. I can just hear him in the huddle late in the game; pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory is forever. 

Reason for the Texans to have hope: The Texans have a lot of bad luck, but who has more bad luck in the AFC than the browns? They have nothing to lose and know one expects them to make a run. They are young and fun and their coach will have them ready to play.

Reason for the Elves to have hope: Besides Joe Flacco? I mean what else do you need? Well, how about a great and opportunistic defense, a good run game, solid skill players and a lot of good mojo right now. 

Prediction: I mean the Texans are fun but the Browns should win this game. They have the more experienced and better overall roster. They are healthier and their one injury actually benefited them because they would not be where they are with Watson at QB. Normally both of these teams find a way to lose in the postseason but in good news, at least one of them has to win. My money is on the Elves and I don’t think it will be all that close.

Elves 31 Texans 20

The Frozen Tuna Game: Dolphins @ Chiefs Saturday on stupid Peacock at 6 PM mountain time

Apparently it is going to be really cold at Arrowhead on Saturday night. Like below zero cold. It is supposed to be -5 at kickoff and feel like -12. I went to Arrowhead for the first time since high school this year. Being at the game live exceeded all my expectations. That being said…I am glad I’ll be watching this one from my couch. The cold does not bode well for the Dolphins. They haven’t won a game where the temperature was 36 degrees or lower since 2017. And this isn’t just cold, it is real cold. The Dolphins also only have one win against a team with a winning record. Miami is also only 4-4 on the road. They do have Tyreek Hill who is incredible but deep down you can tell he is not over the Chiefs. Taylor will be there to sing we are never ever getting back together. The Dolphins also have injury issues on both sides of the ball.

The Chiefs on the other hand have handled bad weather before. Mahomes is a “snow guy” despite being from Texas. However, the Chiefs are only 4-4 at Arrowhead this year. The chiefs also have 3 major problems, drops, penalties and turnovers. On the flip side, the defense has been outstanding. They are number 2 in points allowed. They get pressure on the QB they have shut down pretty much every top receiver they have faced. For all the bad the offense has done, the defense has done equal good. They keep this team in every game.

Reason for the Dolphins to have hope: They have Tyreek and a lot of other weapons. The defense is beat up but the Chiefs offense has been far from dangerous. Sure they haven’t won in cold temps for close to a decade and only have one win over a team with a winning record. But streaks are meant to be broken. Plus the Chiefs have a lot of drops, turnovers and penalties.

Reason for the Chiefs to have hope: They have Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid. They have a top notch defense that still gets little credit. Everyone has pretty much written them off. They can’t possibly continue to have this many drops, penalties and turnovers. Also, it is going to be -5 which favors the Chiefs.

Prediction: I actually like the Dolphins. I like Tyreek. I think their coach is funny. But I trust Mahomes and company more. I don’t if they can flip the script but I think the Bengals game help them realize that if they just don’t make mistakes and get any points even if it is 3 points they got a shot. Plus it is going to be -5. I just can’t imagine losing this game at home on Saturday night in the cold. I think the Chiefs offense plays better than usual and Pat gets to go play his first ever road playoff game so everyone can shut up about that.

Chiefs 27 Dolphins 19

Winner vs Loser: Steelers @ Bills on CBS at 11 AM Mountain Time

Kicking off the Sunday games is the last AFC game of the weekend. The Bills are the media’s favorite team. They were 7-6 and finished 11-6. But it hasn’t exactly been pretty. Besides kicking the crap out of the Cowboys, they could have just as easily lost most of those games. Josh Allen is still careless at times with the ball. Overall they are playing well but mistakes could be their undoing. The Bills in general, are not losers but they are post season losers. 

The Steelers find a way to finish with a winning record every year. It really is remarkable with the lack of Quarterback play they have had the last few years. This year, they got there with Mason Rudolph. That’s right, Mason Rudolph. He’s the same guy that got hit in the head with a helmet by Myles Garrett a few years back. He didn’t do much between those two events. The Steelers are also post season winners hoisting 6 lombardi’s over the years. Unfortunately, history is about all the Steelers have going for them. They are not very good over all and their best player, TJ Watt is out. Not the best sign for their success. 

Reason for the Steelers to have hope: The Bills tend to come up short and find a way to lose in the playoffs. Maybe that will be this Sunday.

Reason for the Bills to have hope: They have the better QB, the better skill guys and a good enough defense to stop the Pittsburgh offense. 

Prediction: Barring a Josh Allen and Bills meltdown, they should win this game. The Steelers are scrappy and will be well prepared and will likely keep it close for a while. But in the end the Bills will be too much for them.

Bills 24 Steelers 13

Tune in tomorrow for the NFC games. 

Here we are! It is time for playoff football. This feels a little like 2020 when you didn’t know what was going to happen because there were a lot of evenly matched teams. That year delivered arguably the greatest weekend of football of my lifetime when in the divisional round, 3 games were won by a game ending winning field goal and the other game, well all I have to say is 13 seconds. So here are 5 reactions to the playoff lineup plus my rankings of who has the best chance at winning the Super Bowl from worst to best chance.

1. Jaguars blew it and ruined my night: First of all, I was high on the Jags coming into the season. They finished strong last year and had a relatively easy schedule. But instead they failed miserably. They lost 5 of their last 6 and blew multiple opportunities throughout the game on Sunday. But the thing I am most bummed about is by losing the Bills were automatically in the playoffs. I have nothing against the Bills but I do love funny playoff scenarios. And if the Jags had won, the Bills would have either won and become the 2 seed or lose and been eliminated. I don’t ever remember seeing a scenario like that before and the stupid Jags took that away from me.

2. I have to buy Peacock now: I mean come on NFL. Do you not make enough money already? I already pay for the NFL ticket so that I can watch all the games during the season but now I have to pay for Peacock for one game. If it wasn’t the Chiefs I wouldn’t do it. I’d like to say I still won’t do it because of the principal of the thing. But watching the Chiefs trumps my principals. So I’ll spend the $5.99 which will probably quickly turn into $17.97 after I forget to cancel the service for a couple of months. 

3. Weird scheduling: All the AFC games are first, followed by all the NFC games. Along with the stupid Peacock game, NBC controls 3 of the 6 games. Also, it seems like a Monday night game is a disadvantage heading into the divisional round. It is nice that MLK day is Monday which means I can enjoy all the Sunday games without stressing about work the following day. 

4. South division winners limp in: The Bucs won by beating the worst team in the league 9-0. The Texans took the lead in their game, and then immediately missed an extra point. The Colts drove down the field only to drop a fourth down pass. Also, when anyone drops a pass do you automatically think of Chiefs receivers? Or is that just me?

5. The most wonderful time of the year: I love football and especially the NFL. This is my favorite time of the year. It also means the season is almost over. So enjoy it.

Rankings of best chance to win a Super Bowl

14. Bucs

pros: no one thinks they can win so they should be able to play loose. Their roster is decent and they have a shot at least winning one game since they play the Eagles that apparently are completely falling apart.

Cons: they won 9 games. They just barely beat the worst team in the league and Baker is not great.

13. Steelers

pros: They have a great defense and a coach who has won it all before.

cons: Mason Rudolph is starting and their coach last won it all 15 years ago.

12. Texans

pros: they made the playoffs which is a huge accomplishment after the disaster of an organization they were. They seem to have their franchise quarterback.

cons: they are untested and young and a lot of their offensive guys are hurt.

11. Packers

pros: they made the playoffs making me look smart and seem to be playing pretty dang well.

cons: they are the youngest team in the playoffs and because they are the 7 seed they would have to play all the top seeds to get to the super bowl.

10. Eagles

pros: they have a great roster and have made a run to the super bowl just last year.

cons: they are a dumpster fire right now.

9. Dolphins

pros: tons of talent and a funny coach. They can score a ton of points and are exciting to watch.

cons: they are 1-5 against playoff teams. They will have to play all their games on the road. 

8. Lions

pros: good offense and a fiery coach. A good mix of young talent and savvy veterans. 

cons: They are the Lions. Also, they are not good defensively and have seemed to gotten worse as the season goes on.

7. Rams

pros: a winning coach and going into the playoffs hot after winning their last 4 games. 

cons: lots of road games to get there and don’t have the depth other teams have.

6. Chiefs

pros: Reid, Mahomes, Kelce and the defense

cons: drops, penalties and turnovers.

5. Cowboys

pros: They are playing at a high level and taking care of business against lower end teams.

cons: they are no longer going to be playing lower end teams.

4. Browns

pros: An aggressive defense that makes plays and creates turnovers. Joe Flacco coming off the house boat to lead this team to glory!

cons: spent a lot of money on massage boy that they didn’t have to. They turn the ball over a lot and much like the Lions…they are the Browns and the Browns don’t win stuff.

3. Bills

pros: they have won 5 in a row and have been basically playing playoff football for several weeks now.

cons: the offense is up and down and much like the Lions and the Browns…they are the Bills.

2. Ravens

pros: seem like the best team in the league and have been dominating against great teams.

cons: Lamar has one playoff win. Last time they were the 1 seed they lost in the divisional round.

1. 49ers

pros: best roster in the league. Weapons galore! Lots of guys on the team have made deep playoff runs in the past. Easily the best team in the NFC.

cons: injuries haven’t happened yet…but they are the 49ers. They also struggle some if they get down early. 

Stay tuned later in the week when I break down the AFC games in one post and the NFC in another. 

This will be our final normal rankings of the year. Next week we start the playoffs and there will be more posts than normal including a ranking of teams mostly likely to win the super bowl. But for now, lets dive into the final rankings. 

Worst team in the league: Carolina Panthers

What is there left to say about this dumpster fire that hasn’t already been said. I keep seeing these posts that say the Bears have locked up the #1 seed. This pretty much sums up the state of affairs for the Panthers.

Eliminated and never a doubt: Cardinals, Patriots, Giants, Commanders

These teams have been consistent all year. The problem has been that they have been consistently bad. The Cardinals showed some fight here or there but it equaled mostly losses although they did beat the two best teams in the NFC East. Apparently the Giants should have played the kid living in his mom’s basement much sooner. The Commanders continue to be a disaster no matter what they do. But Dan Snyder is finally gone so we will still count their season a success. Bill Belichick with Tom Brady is much better than Bill Belichick without Tom Brady.

Eliminated with early hope crushed by injuries: Jets, Chargers, Titans

All these teams had grand aspirations that were dashed by early injuries to their QBs. The Jets win by having their dreams dashed on their first offensive possession. It was very Jet like. No one ever really believed in the Titans. The Chargers will get a new coach and by the spring or summer people will again be predicting them to win the AFC West and be a sleeper super bowl pick. Same story, every year.

Eliminated with late hope that was recently crushed: Bears, Broncos, Raiders, Bengals

These teams all had late hope but it was destroyed last weekend. The Raiders after apparently winning the super bowl because they beat the Chiefs they quickly turned around and lost. The Broncos switched quarterbacks to ignite their offense to a whopping 16 points which was enough to win but it didn’t matter because the Chiefs won. The Bears were a stretch but good for them for not being terrible the second half of the season. As a bonus they can ruin my son’s weekend by beating the Packers. The Bengals were eliminated in back to back seasons at Burrowhead (my ass!) which I got to say was pretty sweet. Honestly I love winning championships but I know that can’t happen every year. But as long as Burrow and Chase are there, I’ll be pretty happy if we can eliminate them every season. Now let’s dive into the contenders.

Outside shot to make the playoffs…but not really: Vikings, Seahawks

According to the playoff simulator, these two teams still have a shot. But they need a lot of help. Stranger things have happened outside of Hawkins, Indiana but I think it is unlikely. Seahawks should have kept playing Drew Lock. 

About to mess around and win 8 or 9 games and win the division: Bucs, Saints, Falcons

Well, I have been saying this since week 1. It got a little dicey when one of the teams (I don’t remember or care which one) had like 6 wins by week 9. But the NFC South did not let me down. If the Bucs win, they win the division. If the Bucs lose then the winner of the Saints vs Falcons gets in. Oh, the drama! I cannot wait to see which of these teams gets the honor of losing a home playoff game. Also, I believe if the Packers lose and the Saints and Bucs both win, the Saints make it as a wild card. For all of our sakes, lets hope that doesn’t happen. We definitely don’t need two NFC south teams in the playoffs. 

About to mess around and win 10 games and make the playoffs: Jaguars, Texans, Colts

Jaguars can win the division if they beat the Titans. I would be more confident in that if Trevor Lawrence could stay upright but I still think they win. All the Texans and Colts have to do is not tie and one of them will get in and maybe win the division. I don’t see any of these teams doing much in the playoffs but the Texans and Colts are a nice story. Although, the Colts were a lot more fun to write about with Jeff Saturday.

Big Dolphin fans this week: Steelers

The Steelers will once again not have a losing season which is very impressive especially with the poor QB play all year and for the past few years. They are playing a Ravens team with nothing to play for so I do think they win on Saturday. Unfortunately they need help. Their easiest path is having the Dolphins beat the Bills on Sunday night.

Win and in: Packers

I predicted the Packers would win the division which I was obviously wrong about but they don’t suck as most people predicted. They have had an up and down season but they are right back to where they were last year with Aaron Rodgers. Win and your in. Can Jordan Love do what Aaron Rodgers didn’t? I think he can.

Wild Card teams that could win it all or lose in the first round: Eagles and Dolphins

The Eagles somehow lost to the lowly Cardinals which set up the Cowboys to win the division assuming they beat the Commanders this week which they will. They have been beating up on bad teams all year. In good news this continues the ridiculous streak of not having a back to back NFC East champion. The last time there was a repeat it was the Eagles and Andy Reid was the coach way back in 2004. The Dolphins beat the Cowboys but other than that have struggled against teams with winning records. If they beat the Bills this week then they will be the 2 seed. But based upon what has happened this year it seems unlikely. 

Division Winners with issues: Chiefs, Lions, Cowboys

These teams are all good and competitive football teams. But they all have flaws. The Cowboys can’t beat a good team…at least not without an assist from the officiating. The Lions defense has major issues and the Chiefs have the same problems they have had all year: drops, penalties and turnovers. But they all have strengths too that could lead them to the conference championship or even the Super Bowl. The Chiefs are most likely because they can beat a good team occasionally and they aren’t the Lions. 

Win the division or be eliminated?: Bills

I like weird scenarios and this could be a really weird one. If the Steelers win and the Jaguars win and the Colts and Texans don’t tie the Bills can win and win the division or lose and not make the playoffs. Lots of people think the Bills are going to the super bowl. They have the Dolphins number and I think they will win this game. But it would sort of be the most Bills thing ever to lose and be out before it even started.

Wild Card teams no one wants to play: Browns and Rams

These teams are just tough. They win in different ways.  I don’t think either can win it all but I think they both can make a run. They are playing really good football at the right time. Plus, Joe Flacco…I mean come on!

The Favorites: Ravens and 49ers

These two teams biggest weakness over the last few years has been injuries. They both have mostly survived that up to this point. Are they both beatable, sure. But do they seem to be better than anyone else? yup. Ravens seem to be on a mission and if you had to put money on someone, they would probably be the team. However, Lamar has only won one playoff game and the 49ers have shown signs of weakness off and on. We will all find out soon enough. 

Enjoy the final week of the regular season! Then playoffs and then comes Jeff’s sad season…the offseason. 

We took last week off but are back with our weekly rankings. Since this will be the last ranking since 2023 it made since to rank the teams and give each team a new year’s resolution.

32. Carolina Panthers: Get a new owner. This guy had done nothing good for this team. They have to be the first 2-13 team ever without a 1st round draft pick. 

31. Arizona Cardinals: Find someone who cares. They don’t have many fans and I am not sure the Owner, GM or Coach care that much either. 

30. Los Angeles Chargers: Hire Bill Belichick. The Chargers have been failures forever including the debacle this year. They have so much talent yet suck so bad. Bill has been bad without Tom and Justin Herbert is no Tom. But it seems like this could be a perfect match to become a very competitive team. But they are the Chargers so they will probably hire Jeff Saturday.

29. New England Patriots: Start over. This team may have won on Christmas Eve but it is time for a change across the board. 

28. Washington Commanders: Get a new coach. They finally rid themselves of Dan Snyder. Time to finally clean house and get a new man in charge.

27. New York Giants: Find a way out of the Daniel Jones contract. I think they thought, we won’t be able to find an available QB that is as good as Daniel Jones so we got to pay him. Then he got hurt and they found Tommy Devito in his parents basement who was just as good. Whoops.

26. Tennessee Titans: Stop building a team around an aging running back. I love Derrick Henry but this is a bad all around team that doesn’t work anymore.

25. New Jersey Jets: Get some offensive line guys and stop hiring all of Aaron Rodgers friends. Aaron in Green Bay, they don’t get me any weapons. Aaron in New Jersey, get me all my washed up weapons. The Jets need to get some O-line guys so that Aaron can stay on the field. Also I thought he was miraculously healed and going to play this year. What happened to that?

24: Chicago Bears: Do the right thing with the number 1 draft pick. I’m not sure what it is but I am sure the Bears will probably screw it up.

23. Atlanta Falcons: Someone who can throw the ball. Seriously…anyone. The Falcons have lots of weapons and a pretty good defense. But their quarterbacking needs some serious help.

22. New Orleans Saints: To reverse all the decisions they have made in the last 4 years. No matter what they do, their salary cap keeps going up and their record keeps going down.

21. Minnesota Vikings: To start less quarterbacks in 2024 than they did in 2023. It’s been rough with another new starter coming on Sunday.

20. Denver Broncos: Find someone new to blame. For years it was the quarterback. Last year it was the coach. Now it is back to the quarterback. I can’t wait to see who it will be in 2024. 

19. Green Bay Packers: Continue to sign and draft offensive weapons now that Aaron is gone. Have you watched this team? There is so much young talent running around it is ridiculous. 

18. Las Vegas Raiders: Have something actually significant to smoke a cigar about. These guys win a regular season game and they all smoke cigars like they just won the super bowl. I guess this is what happens when your organization has been a disaster for years.

17. Houston Texans: Have CJ Stroud take taekwondo or whatever Tua did in the offseason. CJ playing is good for the Texans. CJ not playing is bad for the Texans.

16. Cincinnati Bengals: become less likable. oh wait, that’s impossible. I hate the Bengals.

15. Jacksonville Jaguars: Keep Trevor Lawrence alive. It’s like every time I tune in the guy is being pile drived into the ground. 

14. Pittsburgh Steelers: win just enough games to have a winning record and not quite enough to make the playoffs. It’s what they do best so why change now.

13. Seattle Seahawks: Unlock Drew Lock! Maybe this is just what I want but I think Drew has played well in minimal time. And nothing would be funnier to me than Drew Lock tearing it up for another team after being the scape goat in Denver for 3 years.

12. Indianapolis Colts: Rehire Jeff Saturday! Please! It gives me so much to blog about. 

11. Tampa Bay Bucs: Win 9 games and a division championship. One more game to go! They might not even have to wait until the new year.

10. Kansas City Chiefs: Get somebody who can get open AND somebody who can catch the ball AND and somebody who can line up correctly AND somebody who can play without false starting or holding AND somebody who won’t call a tight end screen to the left in the red zone immediately after calling a tight end screen to the right in the red zone that was a complete disaster. Oh yeah and keep the defense.

9. Los Angeles Rams: Find a few more good players. Rams issue has been depth for a while now. But they have a solid base and will be a tough out in the playoffs. 

8. Cleveland Elves: Get a refund on Deshaun Watson. Shane Falco, I mean Joe Flacco has been awesome since returning the league from his house boat. Watson is the biggest waste of money in sports in a long time. He makes Russell Wilson’s deal look like a bargain. 

7. Detroit Lions: To not do Lions things when it matters most. The Lions are a great story no matter how you look at it. But it would be nice if they at least won one playoff game. It’s been like 30 years.

6. Dallas Cowboys: Make it past the divisional round.  I mean, I hope they don’t and don’t think they will but it should be their resolution. 

5. Buffalo Bills: not choke in the playoffs. Again, I think they will because that is what the Bills do but maybe this is their year. (spoiler alert…it’s not their year). 

4. Miami Dolphins: Win the division and a playoff game. They need to beat either the Ravens or the Bills to win the division. They have struggled against teams with winning records. I mean they beat the Cowboys but the Cowboys don’t beat anyone with winning records either.

3. Philadelphia Eagles: Repeat at stuff. They can be the first team since 2004 to repeat as NFC East Champs. That is just step 1. Step 2 is repeating as NFC champs.

2. San Francisco 49ers: Not fall behind. The 49ers have an excellent team. Arguably the best roster in the league. But if they are forced to go off script because they fall behind they might be in trouble.

1. Baltimore Ravens: Keep Lamar healthy. They did that in 2023 and that is working out for them pretty well. They also got some guys who can get open and catch the ball. The Chiefs should take note.

I hope you had a great 2023 and that Fifth-Down made you laugh a few times. Happy New Year to you!