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1/08/2018 2:03 pm  #1


NFL Playoffs

Wildcard weekend has come and gone.

AFC

Titans 22, Chiefs 21 - I was surprised by this one. As they say, it's a game of inches. Mariota caught his own pass for a touchdown and the Titans came back from an 18-point halftime deficit to beat Andy Reid and Alex Smith's Chiefs. I was watching the game at Buffalo Wild Wings and when the Chiefs scored an apparent fumble recovery TD with only a few minutes left the place went crazy...only for it to be called back after video showed the ball came out after the runner was down.

Jaguars 10, Bills 3 - less surprised by this, although I thought for sure the score would be higher. Neither team was able to mount much of an offense. The real story has to be Jacksonville's defense, they were all over Tyrod Taylor. Buffalo had a shot to tie the game on their final drive but Taylor was hurt and his replacement thew a pass that was tipped and intercepted to seal the win.

NFC

Falcons 26, Rams 13 - this was the biggest upset of the first round for me...Atlanta is a good team, don't get me wrong, but the back-in-LA-again Rams had a great regular season and the combo of Goff & Gurley put them ahead of the Falcons in my mind. Not so, as the Falcons dominated. Of course, this bothers me as my Detroit Lions were defeated by the Falcons....errr...by the refs, really...and that loss played a big part in Atlanta making the playoffs and Detroit missing. Shoulda been my team beating the Rams! X-D

Saints 31, Panthers 26 - Brees & Co. managed to win this game without much of a running game, which is a little surprising considering how good their rookie runner Kamara has been. Carolina had a lot more success on the ground, picking up 107 combined rushing yards, but they couldn't finish their drives and wound up with four field goals on five attempts. The big story you'll hear about is how Cam Newton got absolutely rocked, looked like he was stumbling around and disoriented, and still went back in to finish the game...maybe Carolina was willing to pay the penalty for not following concussion protocols and just not giving a damn about human beings.

Next round, and my call:

Atlanta at Philadelphia, Saturday at 4:35 p.m. - Falcons 24, Eagles 21. Without Wentz, the green birds will be in trouble.
Tennessee at New England, Saturday at 8:15 p.m. - Patriots 41, Titans 13. Tennessee has no business being in a divisional playoff game in New England. None.
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh, Sunday at 1:05 p.m. - Steelers 21, Jaguars 19. I think Big Ben avenges their loss to Jacksonville earlier this season.
New Orleans at Minnesota, Sunday at 4:40 p.m. - Saints 31, Vikings 21. If anybody is going to break the Vikings defense, I feel like it's New Orleans.


 


¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

1/08/2018 7:01 pm  #2


Re: NFL Playoffs

Can't argue with your predictions, Doug.  My heart is with the Eagles and the Steelers. 

I would never bet against the Patriots as much as it hurts to do so. 

I see the Vikes and Saints as a tossup, but I don't have a dog in the hunt on this one.

But, like you, in the NFL, I'm guessing nothing would surprise us.

 

1/10/2018 2:41 pm  #3


Re: NFL Playoffs

The boys in Vegas agree with Doug.
The Eagles have the best record in the NFC, and are playing at home. Yet, as of yesterday, they are a 3 point underdog.
Things are tough without your QB.
I will go with the Falcons and the spread.

The Patriots are a 13.5 point favorite over the Titans.
I think they beat the spread. Gulp. Pretty bold.

I'll take Pittsburgh over the Jaguars, but they won't beat the 7 point spread.

And, my upset? I'll take the Saints.

Last edited by Goose (1/10/2018 2:43 pm)


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
 

1/16/2018 10:49 pm  #4


Re: NFL Playoffs

Oof. My predictions were, as Donald Trump would say, "WRONG".

Falcons 24, Eagles 21 ----> Eagles 15, Falcons 10
Patriots 41, Titans 13 ----> Patriots 35, Titans 14
Steelers 21, Jaguars 19 ----> Jaguars 45, Steelers 42
Saints 31, Vikings 21 ----> Vikings 29, Saints 24

I mean, come on though. The Steelers almost won. Their 4th quarter comeback was just not enough to overcome their bumbling throughout the rest of game, including spotting the Jags a three score lead early on. And the Vikings only won because of that ridiculous missed tackle and TD with no time remaining. So I was this close to picking three out of four right...but alas, football and football predictions are an imperfect science.

For the conference championships, I'll take New England over Jacksonville. 33-20 feels right. The Patriots look damn tough to beat right now and I'm sure that with their offensive and defensive coordinators taking the leap to head coach-dom over the off-season these guys will want to go out on top. On the NFC side, I like Philadelphia over Minnesota. Had New Orleans advanced, they would have been my pick. But come on, I'm not picking a team quarterbacked by Case Keenum (!) over the Eagles. Final score: 20-17 in overtime.

Either way, New England is going to wipe the floor with whichever team advances out of the NFC.


¯\_(ツ)_/¯
     Thread Starter
 

1/17/2018 5:36 am  #5


Re: NFL Playoffs

I was 1 - 3.


Not being deterred by the fact that I (obviously) am not very good at this, I will go with the Vikings and the Patriots.

Last edited by Goose (1/17/2018 6:18 am)


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
 

1/23/2018 2:24 pm  #6


Re: NFL Playoffs

Sunday's conference championship games were entertaining, for sure.

On the AFC side, New England managed to erase an early deficit to pull off a 24-20 victory. The game was within Jacksonville's reach late in the 4th quarter, but on 4th-and-long a Bortles pass was *just* swatted away and the Patriots were able to run out the clock. Seems like the majority of America groaned as New England advanced to its ninth Super Bowl appearance.

In Philadelphia, the Eagles clinched their first NFC title since 2004. Minnesota scored easily to start the game, but after Philly scored on a pick-six to tie the game they never looked back. Their 38-7 win was about as dominant as you can get.

I could make my Super Bowl pick now...but I think I'll wait a little bit to make sure Brady's hand is okay first :-)


¯\_(ツ)_/¯
     Thread Starter
 

1/24/2018 3:40 pm  #7


Re: NFL Playoffs

Boy, the Vikings played like they didn't belong in that game and knew it.
I've under estimated the Eagles all year and won't anymore.

The initial line has the Patriots by 5.5. 
I will be cheering for them. But, I just don't know,,,,,


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
 

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