American football

Nah. I thought it was pretty close. Also, the Bills deserve a badoink from the opposing team for a change. Alex Rollins posted a really good breakdown on YT of Josh Allen's improvements this year. Well worth a watch.

Buffalo need to worry about their run defense. The Colts had two 75+ yard ball carriers on the day. The Bills will not go deep giving up 150+ on the ground and 300 yards passing.

Agree to disagree, despite it getting close at the end.
Apart from the rams, do you think they’ll play another defense as good as the colts? If they get out in front, not sure it matters if they can’t defend the run. As that offense can put up points on anyone, and I think Allen will enjoy the shootout nature of a game like that, especially with receivers who can go deep and make catches..

It was no more than a 2 score game until the end of the 3rd quarter. That is a close game.

Only the Bucs gave up fewer run yards than the Colts this year, BUT the Bills (AFC) won't see the Rams (NFC) unless both make it to the SB. The Browns, Steelers and Ravens are the biggest threats to the Bills as far as defences go.

I really hope the Steelers can pull it together but I don't think anyone will beat the Packers this year. Not even KC.

Today I'm going to say Steelers, Bears and Titans. Both of the AFC games today will be very tasty - Steelers / Browns in particular. I'd love to see the Titans / Chiefs in the next round.

Gutted for the hawks. Offence was a shambles with such talent. Not much expectation in the draft either :-(

Don't know if I can handle another 5am 'night' so will have to catch Browns Steelers on Monday which is a shame. Don't think Chicago have much of a hope without Roquan Smith. Put Kamara down for double digit receptions. TEN/NO/PIT for me

Really enjoying the extra game though - if todays are as good as yesterdays it's been a cracking wildcard weekend!

Some good articles in the athletic about Carroll’s adherence to turnover differential and how in the second half of the season he reigned in russ to limit turnovers from the “let russ cook” first half, which was explosive but turnover prone.

Link?

Sorry wasn’t the athletic but the ringer,
Towards the end of this article

https://www.theringer.com/nfl-playoffs/2021/1/10/22223008/seahawks-pete-carroll-nfl-playoff

Bit I was talking about:

In Carroll’s defense, he is operating with the same philosophy that brought Seattle two Super Bowl appearances and one win. Carroll is obsessed with turnovers: He was 53-0 as head coach at USC when the Trojans had an even or plus turnover ratio, and the Seahawks were 9-0 when winning the turnover margin this season. And Wilson did turn the ball over more this year than ever before as a consequence of his increased passing. In Weeks 9 and 10, Wilson committed a combined seven turnovers, and the Seahawks lost both games. From that point on, the Seahawks went back to their run-heavy approach and stopped passing downfield. That Week 10 loss was against … the Rams. Los Angeles effectively ended the fun, aggressive version of Seattle’s offense in Week 10 and then ended their conservative offense this weekend.

Browns! Just wow!
Up 28-0 in the first quarter. WTAF!
Way to break the playoff drought..

I mean, they were up 7 in 15 seconds. That first snap was hilarious.

Today I'm going to say Steelers, Bears and Titans.

This is why I never, ever, ever bet.

Lol. Just a sneakily edited... 'to lose' would get you out of that prediction.

But yeah; don't put money on anything. Ever.

Really pleased for them, have been following them since the hard knocks a couple of years back.
Don’t think they’ll be able to get past the chiefs but anything’s possible in these playoffs.
But if they do lose, and can sort out some defensive secondary issues and get a healthy OBJ back and stefanski gets a regular preseason to build on what he’s done this season, they could be contenders for a couple of years - injuries/free agency permitting.
And I don’t think anyone would have said that of the browns before this season..

I think Chicago now have some tough decisions to make re: QBs. I would love for them to pick up Matt Stafford from Detroit. Trubisky and Foles can go back to being backups. Trubisky to the Raiders to back up Mariotta. Foles ends up in Detroit as part of a Stafford deal or as a backup to Cousins in Minnesota.

Don't think Chicago or Trubisky will ever be able to overcome the fact that they traded up in the draft to take him, ahead of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Kinda like the whole Sam Bowie/ Michael Jordan, or Kevin Durant/ Greg Oden, executives can't get out from under missing out on a transcendent talent, and the player is always unfairly compared to those taken after them.

Chicago have never had good QBs, their drafting on offense has never been good. Their hallmark is defense and the occasional competent offense. What they need is a sensible game manager who can get the most of out a limited offensive talent pool. Stafford ticks those boxes and then some.

Yeah but statistically there’s less of a drop off year to year if you can build a competent to good offense, rather than a stellar defense. See the fall in efficiency from this bears defence from the all world one it was in the season after khalil Mack was traded for..
Stafford would probably be good for them in that regard as they have a couple of decent offensive pieces, They don’t have the picks to get a good qb in the draft, will be interesting to see which of the backups, starting qbs with question marks are in demand..
Writer on the ringer was talking about possible replacements for Big Ben in Pittsburgh if he decided to retire (he’s due $41m next season) mentioned sam darnold and Carson wentz, who will probably be on Chicago’s radar as well..

Not Wentz - too expensive and don't under estimate the Philly / Pittsburgh rivalry. But Darnold would be good to see in Pittsburgh. That is one place with a sensible coaching staff that could really turn his career around. He has been hung out to dry by the Jets year after year with minimal coaching and no offensive line. I'd love to see him understudy Roethlisberger for a year.

Yeah thought wentz might be a Long shot but left it in anyway..

QB is not the problem in Pittsburgh. They have no ground game (bottom of the league rushing) and without a ground game, are they really Pittsburgh?

I would love the Eagles to be able to get out from under his contract. I just can't see a way back for him at Philly.

Yeah. That is a huge contract and unfortunately only the Raiders or Dallas are stupid enough to try and take it on. But hey. Dak might not be back until late next year, and Jerry is Jerry, so, there is always hope.

The Saints game on Nickelodeon last night was something else!

https://youtu.be/tAExI_ItG0k

Doug Pederson gone in Philadelphia! Went 22-25-1 since winning the superbowl.

Not sure if this is the answer or not. He did make some miserable calls but I liked them always going for it on 4th down. I’d really like to see the end of Howie Roseman; we haven’t traded or drafted well in a long time and I can’t see him improving us further.