EL BARRIO, EL FALLS – Happy Monday… This is how the NFL took Sunday away from the Church. I mean, if you say you like football and you weren’t in awe of this weekend’s games, you need to see a doctor. You might be dead. No game was over until the final whistle and three of the four winners were the lower seeded road team. It. Was. Insane. Let’s get to the headline: Wild NFL Playoffs Weekend, Fans Exhausted, Overtime Malfeasance.
AFC
Cincinatti Bengals vs Tennessee Titans
Joltin’ Joe Burrow has done it again. If you don’t know, you better ask somebody. The Tits secured the number 1 seed throughout, yet I wasn’t sold on them. I was getting my hair cut and of course everybody was talking playoffs. One guy – a Dolphins’ fan who happens to be a fellow Niagara U Rugby alum – said Ryan Tannenhill is Ryan Fitzpatrick 2.0; He will play better but he has a duck game in him and it pops up at the worst times. Sure enough, after throwing two picks, he had a chance to help his team win the game. With the game tied and less than a minute to go, he forced a pass he didn’t need, it got tipped and intercepted. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow didn’t make a mistake, as he led his team into field goal position. The Bengals’ kicker, who hadn’t missed all season, didn’t miss.
THAT’S WHY YOU DRAFT A KICKER!
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 23, 2022
Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs – Instant Classic! Kansas City was the only higher seed to win and boy, did they not make it easy on their fans. The two teams combined for 25 points in the last 1:54. Add to that the overtime score by KC. The Chiefs were up 26-21 with 8 minutes left in the game. Then with 1:54 left the Bills scored a touchdown. I told a guy at the barbershop that as long as the ball is in Mahomes’ hand at the end of the game, the Chiefs got a chance. Mahomes took the Chiefs down and scored a touchdown with 1:02 left. Now it was Josh Allen’s turn and he did the incredible/impossible, throwing a touchdown with 13 seconds left on the clock. Game over, right? WRONG! KC took the touch-back. Then, with two big throws and Buffalo playing the prevent defense, got to the Bills 39 yard line. Then came the big kick and it sailed though the uprights. Tie game and we are going into OT. KC won the toss and took the ball. They had all the momentum and it was no surprise when Travis Kelce caught the epic-winner from Mahomes. Game over. Thank you for coming. Drive safe! Add it to the list of gut punches that Buffalo fans have endured. Maybe next time someone else takes down the Chiefs and the Bills can avoid them because they are 0-2 in the playoffs against KC.
Should the overtime rules be different in the playoffs?
NOTE: I have some more thoughts on this game that I will put in the comment section.
NFC
San Fransisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers
There will be loads of Aaron Rodgers jokes from pro-vaxxers but he doesn’t deserve it. At least I don’t think he does. It was Lambeau Field on a cold day, yet Rodgers threw the ball well and probably should have converted a few more 3rd downs. And the kicker did miss one. The game was lost in the last 4 minutes by the special teams and defense. The punter got a punt blocked. It was picked up and Frisco scored. So, with the pressure on to grind down the clock and kick the field goal, the Green Bay play-calling disappointed again. The ball went to San Fran and they drove down and kicked the field goal. This was a straight shock and my view of this game seems to be the same as the Bills. Again, I will share more in the comment section.
Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Rams made deals to win now and a lot of people, Short Matt included, thought it was insane. However, the Rams are setting people straight. They won the West and then beat the high-flying Arizona Cardinals last week. This week they took on the defending champs and the winningest playoff QB of all time, Josh Rosen Tom Brady. The Rams came into the game ready to roll. They blew the doors off to start the game and were up 20-3 at the half. They scored again to early in the third quarter and were up 27-3. If it wasn’t Tom Brady, people would have written off the game… BUT… The Bucs stormed back and with just with 3 minutes to go they were down 7 with LA with the ball. Then LA running back Cam Akers picked the worst time to fumble the ball at his own 30. The Bucs quickly got the ball into the end zone and with 42 seconds left we had a tie game. Arguably the best reciever in football is Cooper Kupp. He and QB Matthew Stafford went to work as the Bucs played prevent. Stafford got sacked, then threw to Kupp for 20 or so. Then came a 44 yard completion and just like that, they were at the Tampa Bay 12. Stafford spiked the ball. The field goal guy did his job and BANG! Game over. Brady is out and the Rams won a game they almost gave away in Matt Ryan/Falcons fashion. Akers owes Kupp a few beers for sure.
Thanks for reading, comment below and come back tomorrow for our Ben Whitney, who is rumored to be suing the NFL for Overtime Malfeasance TM.
