NFL 2020 - 2021 Season

I was glad to see that too. Jeff and i had some good laughs about how that match was billed as two high-powered offenses that would deliver a high scoring offensive slugfest, and in reality it was a defensive showcase and the game was ultimately won by a defensive play. I think this win, even more than last week's, really takes the pressure off of the Bills as a team. Winning the division and two home playoff games is a validation of the ownership, front office, coaching staff, and athletic talent. Feeling like they're playing with house money in the Conference Title game could make them much more dangerous.

Nevertheless i'm not about to start betting against Kansas City. They rested their starters in week 17 and had a bye, so they might start a little slowly today. I think that if the Browns can capitalize on that, they can put themselves into a position to have a chance to win today. I feel like they are also playing with house money after finally winning a playoff game after so long, especially seeing that that win was in Pittsburgh. But the Chiefs are an incredibly deep team, and as well coached as any team in the history of the sport. I don't really have any confidence that any other team can beat them, but i have hope at least.

The Packers were so dominant yesterday, and their offense is so stacked. The Packers beat the Saints earlier this year when the Saints actually had all their starters, the only team to beat the Saints at full strength this year, so far at least.

I'm confident that the Saints are a better team than the Bucs, but that doesn't guarantee anything, and the difference in quality between the two teams may be real, but it's not as large as a 38-3 result earlier in the year might suggest, and there is NO way that Ariens and Brady are going to let their franchise get embarrassed like that in the playoffs.

I certainly wish that the Browns played better in the first half.

Even so I am furious at the missed helmet to helmet call and that gave KC a serious break at the end of the half. The half-time commentators agreed. This was an obvious infraction that replay should have been able to identify and fix. Especially in a play off game.

KC played better than Cleveland. That's first place.

I was very concerned for Mahomes. He looked a mess. I hope he regains himself before next week. But I wouldn't automatically count on it. Orientation is only one factor.

In terms of the AFC Bills at Chiefs was the game everyone was looking for. It makes sense. I like the Bills. Cleveland and Buffalo share a lake afterall! Again hoping Mahomes will be fit enough to play.

Meanwhile I just saw that Tampa defeated New Orleans. I didn't watch the game. So I'll have to look at highlights. I imagine that crafty Tom Brady had a say in that win. I would favor Green Bay in the championship game however. GB and TB. Old rivals from the NFL central days.

Tom Brady's 14th championship game. Why we couldn't keep him in NE is anyone's guess, but so happy to see him continue to do what he so often does, take his team deep into the playoffs. Defense was the biggest reason Tampa won on Sunday, but Tom was efficient, and it should be exciting watching him play in the elements at GB next weekend.

Tampa played way better than Green Bay did. Tampa also had way much more life. Green Bay at times seemed at flat as old soda.

I'm just really, really happy that Brady is heading to his tenth SB, as I never blamed him for the breakup with the Patriots and have been following Tampa more acutely than NE this season. The Bucs try so many high-risk, high-reward plays that it is hard to assess them; it's a roller coaster. (Someone like Edelman would do wonders for them, a steady underneath presence.) But I never doubted Brady could get them to the big game. Hopefully they will get completely healthy over the next two weeks, develop a smart game plan (more Gronk, fewer deep passes on third-and-short), play a focused, disciplined game at home and give us a great Super Bowl. Thanks, Tom, for another complete 20-week season.

I think we can count on Brady and Ariens to have an outstanding offensive game plan, which i doubt will overuse Gronkowski though he'll definitely see more work than he did yesterday.

I think the difference maker will be if the Tampa defense can do to Kansas City what they just did in consecutive weeks to New Orleans and Green Bay.

Kansas City is in a class by itself. They're the favorites. It's up to an error-free Tampa to keep up let alone keep ahead.

I thought Buffalo would play better. Buffalo and the entire AFC will have to figure out the KC dynasty-to-be. The only way is to match them in every position.

Go Bucs!

Count me in on that Bandwagon!

Good for Tampa. Good for Brady. But as Super Bowl games go, I found this one rather dull. Both teams needed to show up for my entertainment value.

I would give the MVP to Tampa's defense. They made KC's offense look pathetic. I would similarly give the LVP to KC's defense.

Best Super Bowl ads.

1) Four Seasons/Fiverr
2) Alexa with Michael B Jordan
3) Cheetos with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
4) Cadillac with Timothee Chalamet as Edgar Scissorhands
5) Paramount Streaming but only when Beavis and Butt-Head were in it

I thought the half time show was terrible, and i like the weeknd

Oh I forgot about the Weeknd. I agree. The show was terrible. I couldn't hear him half the time. And there was too much commotion behind and around him. He was upstaged. He should have been well in front of the extra sight and sound.

Oh there was a local joke here on some social media posting. My neighbor told me. We were watching the Super Bowl together. Basically the poster found it humorous that Kansas City was complaining about the refs when Cleveland went through the same bad call experience. I think that many Cleveland fans were specifically rooting for Tampa.

Just super excited TB12 got another trophy. He deserves it; I'll never understand why the Pats didn't do everything in their power to keep him. Also very pleased that ex-Pats Gronk and Brown got all of the passing touchdowns; it felt very much like business as usual, just with a different logo on the uniforms. So goes another season, enjoyable to the very end. Can't wait till next year--should be a lot of moves in the offseason, lots to anticipate for every team.

Congrats on number 7, number 12!

and Cam returns to Foxboro next fall....

soup, do you agree with Pats management that Cam was the best available option?

I like Cam personally, but NE must be desperate to try to wring any more production out of him. They are clearly going to pursue a QB in the draft, but can you see Cam mentoring a pocket passer like Mac Jones? The Pats had better start making some big moves starting Mar 17 if they are going to get the fans hopeful of anything better in '21.

Also, Drew Brees retires. Sorry, Mo, I know you'll miss him out there.

Thanks, Peggy, a lot of us will miss him. I can't say that i think he's making the right or wrong decision, it was always going to depend on how confident he could feel. The injuries over the last two years definitely took a serious toll, and even though the team was able to win without him, the bigger issue was that his abilities were starting to suffer, and if he doesn't feel that he can consistently play at an elite level, the team will actually probably be better off without him.

It seems likely that Jameis Winston will be Sean Payton's next reclamation attempt, i hope it goes as well as the last one. Taysom Hill is still in N'Awlins too, so i feel reasonably confident that the future is still bright for the team.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

soup, do you agree with Pats management that Cam was the best available option?

I don't, but I am a fan. They are in the business. I didn't like what i saw from his throwing game after he came back from Covid. His release just looked so awkward.

They may be playing waiting game. At least they were agressive in plugging their myriad of holes. I don't think I want Mac Jones.

Big (???) news is the Jets trading Darnold to Carolina for a bunch of picks. The Jets have fallen into the old Browns trap of thinking that a crappy team will be fixed by a new QB. Look at the litany of starting QBs the Browns have had ever since the team was re-created over 20 years ago...Probably half of them would have made decent starters in the league if they had not been ruined by a bad environment, and the current squad's much-improved status is probably as much down to giving Mayfield good talent to play with as it is in Mayfield himself. Okay, Manziel was a wasted pick, there were too many flags that the team ignored when drafting him. But he's the outlier on an otherwise acceptable crop of quarterbacks whom the team flushed down the toilet.

Be interesting to watch Darnold and see if he can get his young career back on track.

Other news from the past week is the Niners dumping a bunch of picks in order to move up to the 3 spot this year. Obviously going for a QB, and this and this is handwriting on a wall for Crrrapolo. The Niners fans in the trash talk FB page have been spraining their wrists over the possibility that Wilson might leave the Seahawks, but with that dashed and this story breaking they are suddenly quiet.

The Jets have now stockpiled over 20 picks in the next two drafts, which would seem to indicate a full rebuild, not just a new QB. Nevertheless the franchise is still being run by the same incompetents who got them here, so it doesn't seem like the fan base is all that excited by the prospect.

TBC wrote:

Big (???) news is the Jets trading Darnold to Carolina for a bunch of picks.

Bad news for us pats fans, unless their next QB sees ghosts as well.

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

The Jets have now stockpiled over 20 picks in the next two drafts, which would seem to indicate a full rebuild, not just a new QB. Nevertheless the franchise is still being run by the same incompetents who got them here, so it doesn't seem like the fan base is all that excited by the prospect.

Remember when the Rams got ten draft picks from Washington for the rights to draft RGIII and didn't do anything worthwhile with any of them?

soup wrote:

His Royal Dorkness wrote:

soup, do you agree with Pats management that Cam was the best available option?

I don't, but I am a fan.  They are in the business.  I didn't like what i saw from his throwing game after he came back from Covid.  His release just looked so awkward.

They may be playing waiting game.  At least they were aggressive in plugging their myriad of holes.  I don't think I want Mac Jones.

Welcome to Foxboro, Mac Jones.

I think you do want Mac Jones, Jeff. He was a prize at number 15. We just don't get that kind of a draft gift very often. Bill calls Cam "our QB" but Jones will start this year, my opinion.

Not the only interesting thing going on this week. Antonio Brown re-signs with Bucs; Brady has his entire team back this year, plus a promising new linebacker in Joe Tryon at  pick 32. Tebow tries out at tight end with Jags. Aaron Rodgers wants out at Green Bay. First three picks all QBs. What happens with Jimmy G now is tough to guess. And Denver goes with a DB, standing pat with Bridgewater and Lock. Atlanta dangles Julio Jones. Whew.

Yes indeed, Peggy Sawyer, the first 3 picks and 5 of the first 15 were all QBs.

The Saints drafted a defensive lineman, and edge rusher who looks to add significant depth to an already potent D line. The Saints D could still use a little help at LB and corner, I guess we'll see where they go from here.