Football (North America: NFL, CFL, Arena Football, minor leagues)

[Max Rockatansky]

With the first NFC game in the books, I only have one thing to say...

BLEW DAT!

Isn't that kind of the signature of the Saints to blow playoff games that they ought to have won?   

[Big John]

Wentz in injured

[webny99]

With the first NFC game in the books, I only have one thing to say...

BLEW DAT!

Isn't that kind of the signature of the Saints to blow playoff games that they ought to have won?

The Saints, unlike the Patriots, actually deserved the bye, and that hurts right now. Also unlike the Patriots, they didn't cost themselves the bye by blowing a Week 17 game to a terrible opponent. They stomped the Panthers 42-10. All they needed for the bye was a Seattle win OR a Lions win... both of which came down to last-second inches. It's a bad run of bad luck more than anything, and IMO missing the bye is the more frustrating part of it than losing to the Vikings.

I am foreseeing a Niners-Seahawks championship rematch right now... it would have sounded crazy just a few short hours ago, but seems almost inevitable now. 

[webny99]

It is also of note that the Chiefs are the only first-round bye team from last year still standing.

Rams missed the playoffs, Pats and Saints lost this weekend.

[Max Rockatansky]

With the first NFC game in the books, I only have one thing to say...

BLEW DAT!

Isn't that kind of the signature of the Saints to blow playoff games that they ought to have won?

The Saints, unlike the Patriots, actually deserved the bye, and that hurts right now. Also unlike the Patriots, they didn't cost themselves the bye by blowing a Week 17 game to a terrible opponent. They stomped the Panthers 42-10. All they needed for the bye was a Seattle win OR a Lions win... both of which came down to last-second inches. It's a bad run of bad luck more than anything, and IMO missing the bye is the more frustrating part of it than losing to the Vikings.

I am foreseeing a Niners-Seahawks championship rematch right now... it would have sounded crazy just a few short hours ago, but seems almost inevitable now. 

Either way the Saints have gotten into the habit of letting teams hang around with them in the playoffs and win on questionable calls.  For all that regular season flare they have they sure play down to the competition come playoff time.  Its a good thing Drew Brees and Sean Payton have at least one Super Bowl otherwise they would be scrutinized a whole hell of a lot more than they are now. 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Saints also shot themselves in the foot badly today. The Brees pick was bad, and led to a Vikings TD. The fumble cost them a chance to win in regulation. Missed FG at halftime. Penalty on a fake punt prevented them from getting a first down. Bizarre clock management in the final seconds of regulation. Vikings outplayed them except for the 4th quarter, but the Saints hurt themselves too.

[cl94]

The Saints' loss today reminded me of the Bills' loss last night. A million chances to win the game, but they kept shooting themselves in the foot.

[MNHighwayMan]

I just want to say...

I LIKE THAT!

[Henry]

One sign that the Super Bowl will be a great game this year: The Cheatriots will not be in it!

Seattle closes out the wild-card round with a win over the Eagles in Philly.

The divisional round will line up this way:

Minnesota at San Francisco
Seattle at Green Bay
Tennessee at Baltimore
Houston at Kansas City

[NWI_Irish96]

This will be only the second Super Bowl since 2004 in which the starting QB for the AFC Champions is none of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning.  Joe Flacco started for Baltimore in 2013.

[Beltway]

This will be only the second Super Bowl since 2004 in which the starting QB for the AFC Champions is none of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning.  Joe Flacco started for Baltimore in 2013.

Thank goodness!

It is so nice having the playoffs now free of those teams, but especially free of the Cheatriots.

[LM117]

Matt Rhule is the new Panthers head coach.

https://www.panthers.com/news/carolina-panthers-matt-rhule-agreement-head-coach

[Max Rockatansky]

Matt Rhule is the new Panthers head coach.

https://www.panthers.com/news/carolina-panthers-matt-rhule-agreement-head-coach

That might be a bit of a reach even with the turnaround at Temple and Baylor.  Either way at least the Panthers seem to be trying to make a splash with a coaching hire rather than go through the list of expected names from the NFL level. 

[thspfc]

This will be only the second Super Bowl since 2004 in which the starting QB for the AFC Champions is none of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning.  Joe Flacco started for Baltimore in 2013.

Thank goodness!

It is so nice having the playoffs now free of those teams, but especially free of the Cheatriots.

Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes could be the next Brady vs Manning (in a sense; one would be stupid to compare Brady and Manning to qb's who have spent a combined five seasons in the pros).

[dvferyance]

This will be only the second Super Bowl since 2004 in which the starting QB for the AFC Champions is none of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning.  Joe Flacco started for Baltimore in 2013.

Thank goodness!

It is so nice having the playoffs now free of those teams, but especially free of the Cheatriots.

It's just too bad the Packers are in it. I am so sick of Aaron Rodgers. While they have missed the playoffs the last 2 seasons before that they were there like 10 years in a row.

[Beltway]

This will be only the second Super Bowl since 2004 in which the starting QB for the AFC Champions is none of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning.  Joe Flacco started for Baltimore in 2013.

Thank goodness!
It is so nice having the playoffs now free of those teams, but especially free of the Cheatriots.

It's just too bad the Packers are in it. I am so sick of Aaron Rodgers. While they have missed the playoffs the last 2 seasons before that they were there like 10 years in a row.

No --
New England
Dallas
Pittsburgh
!!

[Alps]

This will be only the second Super Bowl since 2004 in which the starting QB for the AFC Champions is none of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning.  Joe Flacco started for Baltimore in 2013.

Thank goodness!

It is so nice having the playoffs now free of those teams, but especially free of the Cheatriots.

It's just too bad the Packers are in it. I am so sick of Aaron Rodgers. While they have missed the playoffs the last 2 seasons before that they were there like 10 years in a row.

that's just because you hate greatness

[Henry]

This will be only the second Super Bowl since 2004 in which the starting QB for the AFC Champions is none of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning.  Joe Flacco started for Baltimore in 2013.

Thank goodness!

It is so nice having the playoffs now free of those teams, but especially free of the Cheatriots.

It's just too bad the Packers are in it. I am so sick of Aaron Rodgers. While they have missed the playoffs the last 2 seasons before that they were there like 10 years in a row.

I echo those sentiments. Being a Cheesehead hater myself, I'm now rooting for an NFC West matchup in the conference championship game. As for the AFC side, any of those four teams can win, but I'll go with Baltimore and Kansas City.

[kurumi]

This will be only the second Super Bowl since 2004 in which the starting QB for the AFC Champions is none of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning.  Joe Flacco started for Baltimore in 2013.

Thank goodness!

It is so nice having the playoffs now free of those teams, but especially free of the Cheatriots.

that's just because you hate greatness

You can change the whole conversation by strategically removing the Packers quote, but otherwise not changing a thing :-)

(Alps really did say that, but not in that context)

[Beltway]

I like Green Bay.  They were my team growing up in the 1960s in Florida when there were no NFL teams within a thousand miles of there.

[MNHighwayMan]

I echo those sentiments. Being a Cheesehead hater myself,

I'll agree completely with this part.

I'm now rooting for an NFC West matchup in the conference championship game.

And strongly disagree with this part.

[DaBigE]

At this point, I don't care who gets to the Super Bowl, just as long as the Vikqueens lose (preferably in spectacular fashion).

[silkroad]

The posts about football are old but I am replying anyhow. I spent five years (1966 thru 1970)as equipment man for the Virginia Sailors in the Atlantic Coast Football League. Always enjoy chatting about my time in the minors,

[kevinb1994]

The posts about football are old but I am replying anyhow. I spent five years (1966 thru 1970)as equipment man for the Virginia Sailors in the Atlantic Coast Football League. Always enjoy chatting about my time in the minors,

I've never heard of them.

[1995hoo]

This will be only the second Super Bowl since 2004 in which the starting QB for the AFC Champions is none of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning.  Joe Flacco started for Baltimore in 2013.

Thank goodness!

It is so nice having the playoffs now free of those teams, but especially free of the Cheatriots.

It's just too bad the Packers are in it. I am so sick of Aaron Rodgers. While they have missed the playoffs the last 2 seasons before that they were there like 10 years in a row.

I have no problem with Aaron Rodgers other than that he misspells his last name.