THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

Top 10 NFL quarterbacks: No, Tom Brady is not the GOAT

LOS ANGELES, February 1, 2023 — As soon as Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl title, far too many sportswriters declared him the greatest quarterback in the history of the National Football League. He was called the GOAT, the Greatest Of All Time. Some pundits even declared him the greatest NFL player ever at any position.

Those with short memories need to be reminded of the many great quarterbacks who preceded Brady. He is one of the very best, and will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot. However, those living outside of New England are aware that football greatness existed before Brady.

Lists are always controversial, but that is part of the fun. Everybody has an opinion, and these debates will hopefully never be settled. The top 10 NFL quarterbacks of all time will be debated forever.

Sid Luckman, Sammy Baugh, Dan Marino, Bart Starr, Jim Kelly, Terry Bradshaw, Aaron Rodgers, Ken Stabler, Joe Montana, Steve Young and Warren Moon did not make the list. Bradshaw had the Steel Curtain defense. Montana and Young were system quarterbacks. Montana had no arm strength, and the 49ers did just fine when he left. Young lost too many big playoff games at home. Stabler played on a team of legends who won it all after he was traded away.

As for Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, a Bill Parcells quote applies. “Put away the anointing oil.” They may very well make this list when their careers wind down. Mahomes almost certainly will. Let’s wait until their stories are told. 

With that, here are the top ten NFL quarterbacks of all time.

1.) Johnny Unitas — He was the very best. He won three NFL championships before the Super Bowl era and a fourth one in the modern era. His 1958 Baltimore Colts victory over the Giants in overtime is known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” The Colts won it all again in 1959 and one last time in 1968. While the Colts did lose a shocker in Super Bowl III, an injured Unitas sparked a late rally that fell short after starter Earl Morrall was bottled up all game.

The 1970 Colts did win Super Bowl V. Unitas was the NFL passing leader four times and the NFL touchdown leader for four straight years from 1957 through 1960. In 1959, 1964 and 1967, Unitas was the NFL MVP. He led the Colts for 17 seasons. Peyton Manning has called Unitas the best.

2.) Otto Graham — His Cleveland Browns went to the NFL Championship Game 10 straight years from 1946 through 1955. Those downgrading Graham will point out that from 1946 through 1949, the Browns played in the All American Football Conference and not the NFL. Those four straight AAFC Championships count because the Browns maintained their level of success when they joined the NFL in 1950.

Six NFL championship games produced three more championships. He had Paul Brown, one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time. This was before the Browns had running back Jim Brown, perhaps the greatest NFL player of all time at any position. Graham retired after the 1955 season, so there is no telling how many more championships he could have won. Brown did not join the Browns until 1957, two years after Graham retired. The Browns won three more NFL championships, and surely would not have been worse with Graham. In his 10 seasons, Graham never missed a game. 

Graham went to the championship every single year he played. His Browns won their final two championships by a combined score of 94-24. The Browns have won 0 championships in the last 57 years. Seven championships in ten years is excellence personified.

3.) Tom Brady — When you reach 10 Super Bowls and win seven, you are among the very best. Brady is a polarizing figure with regards to his ranking for several reasons. He had Bill Belichick as his coach for his entire New England tenure. There were the scandals from Spygate to Deflategate and the controversial Tuck Rule game in the snow.

His Patriots won all six Super Bowls by a combined 29 points. Several teams won one Super Bowl alone by at least 29 points. The Patriots absolutely should have lost two of their most recent Super Bowl victories. The 2014 Seattle Seahawks and 2016 Atlanta Falcons literally gave the games away. Nevertheless, Brady has won with great receivers and average receivers. His Super Bowl record 505 yards passing in his 2017 Super Bowl (a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles) should stand for a long time.

Leading the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history in 2016 by overcoming a 25-point second half deficit also matters. One more Super Bowl victory without a moved him into a tie with Graham. That seventh win in 2020 came without Belichick as Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory.  

4.) Peyton Manning — He is the only five-time NFL MVP. Aaron Rodgers won it four times. No other player has won it more than three times. Manning has won two Super Bowls with two different teams and lost two Super Bowls with those two teams.

He owns the record for yards passing in a single season. He briefly owned the records for total touchdown passes and total passing yards, but has since seen Brady and Drew Brees surpass him.  

Preventing him from ranking higher is his repeated playoff losses, many of which came against Brady’s New England squad. Manning was the greatest regular season quarterback of all time. His second Super Bowl victory came when his defense carried him over the top.

5.) Drew Brees — Brees is the pinball wizard. He has thrown for over 5,000 yards a stunning five times. No other quarterback has ever done it more than twice. He was the current NFL record holder for most career passing yards and passes completed. He did this with fewer passing attempts than Brett Favre. Brees’s records have since been surpassed by Brady. 

Brees led the San Diego Chargers to a 12-4 record before being traded away to the New Orleans Saints. Brees came to a 3-13 team reeling in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and led the Saints to a 10-6 record and trip to the NFC Title Game in his first season in the Bayou. His 2009 Saints won it all. He had Sean Payton as his coach during his entire tenure in New Orleans. What Brees frequently did not get since 2011 is anything remotely resembling defensive help.

He carried this team to its only Super Bowl title, beating Manning’s Colts. Brees missed a chance to possibly climb higher with a devastating and highly controversial home loss in the 2018 NFC Title Game. In 2009, the Saints were saved when their defense intercepted Brett Favre. In overtime in 2018, an interception of Brees prevented a second Super Bowl appearance.

6.) John Elway — Elway may have the strongest arm the NFL has ever seen. He could roll to his right and throw the ball 70 yards to his left. Without a strong offensive line, Elway’s right arm willed the Denver Broncos to three Super Bowls in the 1980s. Elway would rank higher but the Broncos were blown out in those games by margins of 19, 32 and 45 points.

Nearly a decade later, Elway finally had a running back and offensive line to take the pressure off of him. After winning Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998, Elway retired after 16 seasons in Denver. As the team president, he has taken Denver to two more Super Bowls, winning one. On the field, he led numerous fourth quarter comebacks.

The most memorable came in 1986 when he moved the Broncos 98 yards in the AFC Title Game, forever known as “The Drive.”

7.) Brett Favre — This iron man played 20 seasons. In 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, he had only one losing season. He played in 321 straight games including playoffs. No other quarterback even comes close to that. He played in five NFC Championship games and two Super Bowls, winning one. He won the NFL MVP three straight seasons from 1995 through 1997. In 1996, he broke through the NFL hierarchy and toppled San Francisco and Dallas, a changing of the NFL guard. 

Favre holds the NFL records for most most consecutive starts, with 297 regular season starts at 321 consecutive starts counting playoffs (Punter Jeff Feagles played in 352 straight games, but punters never start a game).  At one time, Favre held the record for most most overall pass attempts, starts, yards, completions and touchdown passes. Knocks on Favre are that he also holds the NFL record for most interceptions. His costly interceptions twice in three years in the NFC Title Game cost two different NFL teams a trip to the Super Bowl.

He became the first quarterback to have defeated all 32 NFL teams. Brady, Manning and Brees have since joined him.

8.) Bobby Layne — He was the epitome of a team leader on and off the field. To quote the late Art Donovan, “When Bobby said play, you played. When Bobby said drink, you drank.” He led the Detroit Lions to NFL championships in 1952 and 1953. In 1954 the Lions reached the championship game for the third straight year but were blown out by Graham’s Browns 56-10. The Lions got revenge in 1957 when they blasted Graham and the Browns 59-14.

Although Layne led the Lions most of that season, a broken leg in the second-to-last regular season game saw the Lions win it all with Tobin Rote at quarterback. When Layne was traded the following year, he put a curse on the Lions that they would not win another championship in his lifetime. In the 65 years since, they still have not, winning only one playoff game in 1991.

When Layne retired in 1963, he held the NFL records (all since broken) for passing attempts, completions, touchdowns, yards, and interceptions. Layne was one of the last players to play without a face mask and is credited as having created the two-minute drill.

9.) Roger Staubach — Tom Landry coached Staubach for his entire career, and Staubach led the Dallas Cowboys to four Super Bowls. He was the backup quarterback on the 1970 Cowboys team that lost the “Blunder Bowl” Super Bowl V. He was the first quarterback to frequently play in the shotgun formation, and his deep balls were unmatched.

He is credited with inventing the term “Hail Mary” when his 1975 NFC Title Game deep prayer led the Cowboys to a stunning 17-14 road victory over Minnesota. In 1971 Staubach took over a struggling 4-3 team from Craig Morton and the Cowboys ran the table to their first Super Bowl victory. Staubach would win another Super Bowl in 1977 over his former teammate Morton. Staubach also lost a pair of agonizingly close Super Bowls to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the 1975 loss to Pittsburgh, a Staubach bomb was intercepted on the final play. Staubach would rank higher but critics say he was a product of Landry’s system. While Staubach’s successor Danny White did not reach the Super Bowl, he did lead the Cowboys to three straight NFC Title Games.

10.) Dan Fouts — Fouts never played in a Super Bowl. The San Diego Chargers in 1980 and 1981 fell in the AFC Title Game. Bad weather played a role as the Chargers fell to the Oakland Raiders in the rain and the Cincinnati Bengals in one of the coldest games ever played. That came one week after the Chargers outlasted the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in scorching heat.

Before the NFL became a primarily passing league, the Chargers led by Don “Air” Coryell were torching defenses. Fouts fired at will early and often. He had to keep scoring because the Chargers never had a Super Bowl defense. Fouts and the passing game carried the Super Chargers.

The ultimate compliment came during the 1980 AFC Title Game. Raiders defensive legend Ted “Mad Stork” Hendricks pointed to his own quarterback Jim Plunkett and said of Fouts, “You’ve got to keep scoring. We can’t stop him.” Other quarterbacks won Super Bowls, but Fouts did more with less.

eric

LOS ANGELES, February 1, 2023 — Quarterback Tom Brady, who lost three Super Bowls, has quit football.

Again. 

He left the game less than two weeks after a miserable loss at home to the Dallas Cowboys. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback was awful in front of his fans at the Big Sombrero in Tampa, Florida.  The winning quarterback was Dak Prescott, who has a losing playoff record. This comes one year after Brady lost to Matthew Stafford, who had never won a playoff game. Against a Brady-led team, Prescott and Stafford thrived.

Most of Brady’s career was with the New England Patriots. He experienced plenty of failures in big games. 

In the 2007 Super Bowl, the Patriots were playing against a New York Giants team that barely qualified for the playoffs. On the biggest stage, the Patriots offense was awful. When Eli Manning gave the Giants a 17-14 lead late, Brady was unable to launch a comeback.

The 2011 Patriots also lost to the Giants as Manning again outplayed Brady. Manning gave the Giants a late 21-17 lead, and Brady again failed to lead a comeback.

In 2017, the Patriots played in the Super Bowl against an Eagles team that had never won one. The Eagles were led by a backup quarterback named Nick Foles. Again, Brady was outplayed. Trailing 38-33 late with a chance to win, Brady was hit and fumbled. Unlike a controversial Brady fumble to begin his career, this time the fumble counted. Brady’s team again went down to defeat.

While Brady could not beat Eli Manning, he had even more frustrations in big games against Eli’s big brother Peyton Manning. 

In the 2006 AFC Title Game between the Patriots and Manning’s Colts, the New England defense gave the Patriots a 21-3 lead. The Patriots could not hold that lead. Late in the game Manning led the Colts to a 38-34 lead. Brady had plenty of time to be the hero. Instead he went down to defeat again by throwing an interception. 

In the 2015 AFC Title Game, Brady led the Patriots against Manning’s newest team, the Denver Broncos. The Broncos held a 20-18 lead with seconds left in the game. All the Patriots needed was one two-point conversion to tie the game and send it into overtime. Brady’s pass to the end zone was batted up in the air and intercepted. Again, Brady lost and Manning won. 

Brady had some of his worst games against the Baltimore Ravens when it mattered most. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco outplayed Brady and humiliated the Patriots in front of their home fans 33-14 in the  2009 Divisional playoff game and 28-13 in the 2012 AFC Title Game. 

Brady suffered so many playoff losses that NFL fans began calling him the goat. 

Despite all of these losses, Brady was the best quarterback of his class. He outlasted Spergon Wynn, Gio Carmazzi, and a few other players chosen in the 2000 NFL Draft ahead of Mr. Irrelevant. 

While Johnny Unitas and Otto Graham remain the two best quarterbacks to ever play professional football, Brady despite the losses did have a career worthy of his era. 

Brady was expected to remain a backup to Patriots Superstar Drew Bledsoe, who had just signed a 10 year, $10 million contract. Late in the second game of the 2001 season, Bledsoe suffered a life-threatening injury by Jets defensive star Mo Lewis. Brady entered the game with the Patriots trailing 10-3. Given a chance to tie the game, Brady failed. 

Later that season, the Patriots hosted a playoff game against the Oakland Raiders. Late in the game, it was the same old story for Brady. With five inches of snow coming down and the Patriots trailing 13-10, Brady was hit by Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson and fumbled. Raiders defensive standout Greg Biekert recovered. Brady walked off the field dejected and disgusted at having blown the game. He was truly the goat. Yet Brady and his team were bailed out when Referee Walt Coleman declared Brady’s fumble an incomplete pass. Coleman misapplied an obscure rule called the Tuck Rule, giving Brady the biggest bailout not associated with the 2008 financial crisis. The Tuck Rule was eventually repealed and removed from the NFL rulebook.

Brady’s most humiliating loss came in the 2010 playoffs against the New York Jets. Several weeks earlier the Patriots had carpet-bombed the Jets 45-3. In front of their home fans, the Patriots were expected to easily role over their rivals. The Jets were led by Mark Sanchez, who would eventually become known for giving up a touchdown on a butt-fumble. The butt-fumbler beat Brady as the Jets smacked around the Patriots 28-21 in a game more lopsided than the score indicated. 

Brady’s final game in New England was another playoff loss. The 2019 Patriots were leading at home 13-7 against the Tennessee Titans but fell behind 14-13 late. Brady had the ball with a chance to be the hero. A field goal would win the game, but it was not to be. Brady was intercepted and the Patriots lost 20-13. For one final time in New England, Brady was the goat.

While Bill Belichick was around for all of Brady’s losses in New England, Belichick had no role in Brady’s final playoff losses with the Buccaneers.

While Brady was an alpha male on the football field, he was a domesticated beta male at home. He married a domineering German model named Gisele Bundchen who was worth over half a billion dollars. Since she was the breadwinner, her orders were obeyed. She demanded that Brady quit football, and he obediently complied. When he tried to return, she divorced him. Now that he has quit again, fans of love everywhere hope they reconcile. 

Despite all of his failures on the field, Brady did have some successes as well. He won seven Super Bowls and will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. 

Brady leaves the game after 23 seasons. While he was unable to reach Brett Favre’s legendary interception record, Brady at the time of his retirement did hold some of the other NFL passing records. 

Brady will still need to retire and unretire several more times before reaching the levels of drama put forth by Favre and boxer Evander Holyfield.

eric

NFL 2022-2023 Conference Title Games Recap

The Conference Title Games are in the books. 

NFC Title Game: 2.) San Francisco 49ers at 1.) Philadelphia Eagles at 3pm on FOX. The 49ers brought a nasty defense and a potent offense led by the unbeaten Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy. The Eagles were led by Jalen Hurts and had the home field advantage and the cold weather. The Eagles began at their own 34. On 3rd and 8 from their own 48, Hurts hit AJ Brown for 10. On 4th and 3 from the San Francisco 35, Kevin Sirianni decided against a 53 yard field goal try and gambled. Hurts went deep to Smith for a 29 yard gain. Miles Sanders ran for a 6 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 66 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 7-0 Eagles. After that the defenses dug in. Midway through the first quarter, Purdy was sacked and fumbled. He was also injure don the play. Purdy was the 3rd string quarterback behind the injured Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. Now the 49ers would have to win with 4th string quarterback Josh Johnson. In the second quarter the Eagles had to punt on 4th and 14 from their own 2 yard line. A 9 yard return set up the 49ers at the Philadelphia 46. Johnson hit Christian McCaffrey for a pair of 9 yard gains. McCaffrey ran for a 23 yard touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame.

The Eagles soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 34. Kevin Sirianni had everyone watching nervous as he decided to go for it in his own territory. Hurts gained 2. On 3rd and 7 from their own 39, Hurts threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant 3 yards and a new set of downs. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 45, Kenneth Gainwell gained 4 and then 17 more. On 2nd and 9 from the San Francisco 23, Hurts threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. Sanders ran for 5 and then for a 13 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive made it  14-7 Eagles with 1:36 left in the half. Two plays after a touchback came the play of the game. From his own 36 out of the shotgun, Johnson fumbled the snap and the Eagles recovered at the Frisco 30. Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for a pair of 5 yard gains. A defensive facemask penalty added 10 more. Boston Scott ran for a 10 yard touchdown with 16 seconds left. 2 touchdowns in the final 2 minutes turned a defensive bonelock into a 21-7 Eagles advantage. The second half belonged to the Philadelphia defense. Early in the third quarter, Johnson was knocked out of the game. An injured Purdy had to return, and the Eagles defense feasted on him. Kevin Sirianni went ground and pound as a 15 play, 91 yard, 8 minute third quarter drive battered the 49ers into submission and broke their vaunted defense. On 3rd and goal at the one, Hurts got in to make it 28-7 Eagles. The Eagles added a fourth quarter field goal to complete the scoring. The Eagles hoisted the George Halas NFC Championship trophy. Their defense gave up only one touchdown apiece in each of their two playoff games. 31-7 Eagles

AFC Title Game: 3.) Cincinnati Bengals at 1.) Kansas City Chiefs at 6:30pm on CBS. This was a rematch of last year’s AFC Title Game when the Bengals went into Kansas City and shocked the Chiefs 19-16 in overtime. The Chiefs were hosting the AFC Title Game for an NFL record 5th straight year. Like last year, this game was a street fight. In the first quarter the Chiefs moved from their own 36 to a 3rd and 5 at the Cincinnati 25. Patrick Mahomes went deep for a big gain, but on further review it was ruled incomplete. Harrison Butker hit a 43 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 33 and moved 61 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 1st and goal at the 9, an incompletion was followed by a touchdown called back due to offensive holding. That killed the drive. On the first play of the second quarter, Butker hit from 24 to make it 6-0 Chiefs. The Bengals after a touchback moved 53 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 7 from the Chiefs 12, Joe Burrow threw incomplete. Evan McPherson hit a 30 yard field goal to get the Bengals within 6-3. 

After a touchback, Mhomes hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 7, Marques Valdes-Scantling for 11, and Valdes-Scantling again for 29. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 14, Mahomes got stopped for no gain. Walrus Andy Reid passed up a chip shot 32 yard field goal and gabled. On 4th and 1, Mahomes found Travis Kelce for the touchdown and the 13-3 Chiefs lead with 4 minutes left in the half. Just before the 2 minute warning, the Bengals were pinned at their own 4 yard line. Burrow quickly moved the Bengals 90 yards in 12 plays. On 1st and goal  at the 5, Burrow threw incomplete to leave 8 seconds. Another incompletion left 4 seconds. That was not enough time to gamble on one more play. Zac Taylor played it safe. McPherson hit from 23 to get the Bengals within 13-6 at the half. In the third quarter the Bengals defense forced a 3 and out and the Bengals took over at their own 38. Burrow hit Tee Higgins for 9. Samaje Perine ran for 7 and Burrow added 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Chiefs 27, Burrow threw a fade and Higgins out-jumped everyone and caught the ball at its highest point for the touchdown and a 13-13 game.

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 29. Mahomes went to Mecole Hardman for 11. Mahomes went to Valdes-Scantling for 25. On 3rd and 7 from the Cincinnati 26, Mahomes hit Valdes-Scantling for 6. Yet instead of 4th and 1, Walrus Andy Reid challenged the spot. Valdes-Scantling somehow with 2 defenders all over him stretched the ball just enough before being flung backward. He got the first down. On 3rd and 10 from the Cincy 19, Mahomes went to Valdes-Scantling for the touchdown. The 11 play, 77 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had theChiefs up 20-13. The Chiefs got it back at their own 31 and soon moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 46. The Bengals needed a break and got one. Mahomes went back to pass and saw the ball slo out of his hands without being touched. It was definitely a fumble, and the Bengals recovered the gift for a short field at the Chiefs 45. On 4th and 6, Zac Taylor decided not to punt and play field position. He went for it all. Burrow threw into double coverage and JaMarr Chase came down with the ball for a 35 yard gain. Perine ran for a 2 yard touchdown. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, this game was tied 20-20.

The defenses dug in as the game seemed destined for overtime. With 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Bengals were pinned at their own 6 yard line. Rather than run the ball, Zac Taylor decided to keep being aggressive. On 3rd and 16 from their own 10, Burrow went to Hayden Hurst for 23. Yet on 3rd and 8 from their own 35, Burrow was sacked. Making matters worse for the Bengals, Moore returned the punt 29 yards. With 30 seconds left, the Chiefs had the ball at their own 47 needing only a field goal to win. They still had one timeout. An inexplicable run gained 6 yards but forced the Chiefs to use their last timeout. With 17 seconds left, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 4 at the Cincy 47. Then came the play of the season for both teams. Mahomes rolled out and could not find anyone. He tried to take off running. Yet he was only able to pick up 5 yards. A field goal try with 8 seconds left would be from 60 yards out. With the temperature at 19 degrees and dropping, this was like kicking a brick. Yet the Chiefs got lucky. a mindlessly boneheaded defensive personal foul occurred when Ossai hit Mahomes out of bounds. Zac Taylor protested to no avail. Now it was only a 45 yard try. There would be no overtime this time. Butker was good. Ossai cried on the bench knowing he cost his team the game. The Chiefs will be going to the Super Bowl for the 3rd time in the last 4 years. Andy Reid has a chance to beat his former team who fired him a decade ago. The Lamar Hunt AFC Championship Trophy remained with the team he founded, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 23-20 Chiefs

Super Bowl LVII (57) is set for 2 weeks from today on Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 6:30pm on Fox. The game will be played in Glendale, Arizona just outside of Phoenix. The AFC Kansas City Chiefs opened as 1 1/2 point favorites against the NFC Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams finished the regular season 14-3. Both teams were the top seed in their respective conferences, taking full advantage of home field advantage and the first round bye. 

eric

NFL 2022-2023 Conference Title Games Prequel

The Conference Title Games are set:

NFC Title Game: 2.) San Francisco 49ers at 1.) Philadelphia Eagles (-2 1/2) at 3pm on FOX

— The 49ers started 3-4 and then ran the table to get to 13-4. Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy has been one of the great feel-good stories. He has plenty of weapons in Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. The Eagles started 13-1 and stumbled down the stretch with Jalen Hurts injured. Yet they finished 14-3 and Hurts seems like his old self again. AJ Brown stretches the field. Forget the home field in this game. This is not your father’s dink and dunk West Coast Offense 49ers. There is no finesse to this team. They win with a nasty defense. If Hurts is less than 100%, the 49ers will devour him to capture the George Halas NFC Championship trophy. Upset special, 49ers win outright

AFC Title Game: 3.) Cincinnati Bengals (-1 1/2) at 1.) Kansas City Chiefs at 6:30pm on CBS

— The Chiefs were the top seed at 14-3 while the 12-4 Bengals went on the road and throttled a very good Buffalo team. Last year the Bengals went on the road and took down top seed Tennessee. The Chiefs seem to dominate the league, With Walrus Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes making most other teams look foolish. The Chiefs let Tyreek Hill go and did not miss a beat. Travis Kelce is as reliable as ever. Yet the Bengals are not most teams. Joe Burrow oozes confidence. JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins stretch the field and Joe Mixon pounds the rock. The Bengals have beaten the Chiefs 3 straight times, including in the AFC Title Game last year in Arrowhead. This is a rematch, again in Arrowhead. In fact, the last 5 AFC Title Games have been in Arrowhead, a record. Patrick Mahomes is not 100%. The Bengals have a brutally tough defense. Yes, the Bengals are unfazed by the Chiefs. Burrow doesn’t seem fazed by anything. Yet betting against Mahomes is not a wise move. Being underdogs at home is a massive slap in the face, and it will add fuel to their locker room. The Chiefs will win the Lamar Hunt AFC Championship trophy in front of the late founder’s son and team owner Clark Hunt. Upset special, Chiefs win outright

SUPER BOWL PREDICTION:

The Super Bowl will be a rematch from 2019. Three years ago, the 49ers had a 20-10 fourth quarter lead but could not slam the door shut. Their defense flustered Mahomes for 3 1/2 quarters, but then he did what he does. 21 unanswered points in the final 7 1/2 minutes meant a 31-20 Chiefs win. If Mahomes is healthy, there will be no revenge. The best offense will take on the best defense. More importantly, Walrus Andy Reid will take on Kyle Shahahan in a battle of offensive strategists. Shanahan has choked in big games from a play-calling standpoint. Both of these coaches are pass-happy, but Reid in recent years has become more willing to run the ball to close out games. Shanahan has not, to his detriment. Reid will win his second Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Championship trophy and cement his first ballot Hall of Fame induction immediately upon eligibility. Chiefs win it all 

eric

Top 10 NFL Divisional Playoff upsets of all time

LOS ANGELES, January 19, 2023 — Unlike professional basketball, hockey, and baseball, the NFL playoffs are one and done. Every year, stunning upsets take place. The conference title games usually feature great teams, and the wildcard round exempts the top teams. For this reason, the Divisionals is where to expect crazy results. The Divisional round is when many of these upsets occur. 

The 2019 Tennessee Titans barely made the playoffs at 9-7. One week after going on the road and shocking the 12-4 New England Patriots in the Wildcard, the Titans went on the road again and stunned the 14-2 Ravens in the Divisional round 28-12. In future years, this could make the list of the Top 10 NFL Divisionals upsets. 

Other worthy contenders just missed the cut for different reasons. 

The 2010 Seahawks at 7-9 were the only losing team at the time to ever win their division. Although they shocked the 12-4 defending champion Saints, this missed the list since the Seahawks were at home.

The 2011 Giants were only 9-7 when they shocked the 15-1 defending champion Packers. This missed the list because the Giants were a very confident bunch who defeated the Packers during their 2007 title run.

The 1983 Seahawks were only 9-7 when they stunned the 12-4 Miami Dolphins. This missed the list because it was Dan Marino’s rookie season. Experience won out.

The 1984 Steelers were also only 9-7 when they shocked the 13-3 Denver Broncos. This was also an experience issue as John Elway was playing his first home playoff game ever. 

The 2014 Colts at 11-5 did shock the 12-4 Broncos and fans everywhere who were cheated out of an AFC Title Game between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. The only reason this game missed the list is because Manning played injured.

With that, here are the top ten Divisional upsets in NFL history.

10.) 1985—Patriots 27, Raiders 20—The 12-4 Raiders were every bit as good as their Super Bowl team from two years earlier. The 11-5 Patriots benefitted from Los Angeles kick returner Sammy Seale booting a kick return into the winning New England touchdown. This would rank higher except Jim Plunkett was out injured and backup Marc Wilson was playing injured. Also, New England went on the road a week earlier and beat the Jets and went on the road again a week later and shocked the Dolphins in the AFC Title Game.

9.) 1993—Chiefs 28, Oilers 20—The 12-4 Oilers were the most dysfunctional team in NFL history, with Buddy Ryan throwing a punch at Kevin Gilbride. However, they had won 11 straight games. The 11-5 Chiefs were good, but the Oilers led after three quarters and collapsed. This would rank higher except Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana was a king of fourth quarter comebacks in the biggest games. 

8.) 2007—Giants 21, Cowboys 17—The 13-3 Cowboys had beaten the 9-7 Giants twice in the regular season, but in Dallas the Giants won when Tony Romo was intercepted in the end zone on the final play. This would rank higher except the Giants went on to shock the world by beating Brett Favre and the Packers and then Tom Brady and the Patriots. Also, it would be eight more years until Romo finally won a playoff game.

7.) 2010—Jets 28, Patriots 21—Several weeks earlier the 14-2 Patriots carpet-bombed the 11-5 Jets by a score of 45-3 in front of a nighttime national audience. The Jets dominated this playoff game that was not as close as the score. Rex Ryan got revenge over the hated Bill Bellichick-Tom Brady tandem. As one Patriots player said on the sideline, “They talked it. They walked it.”

6.) 1982—Jets 17, Raiders 14—The strike shortened season saw the 6-3 Jets go on the road and blast the Bengals. Yet the 8-1 Raiders, who would win it all one year later, were heavy favorites. The New York Sack Exchange dominated the line of scrimmage and forced several turnovers. The Raiders had two chances in the final minutes, when Jim Plunkett was intercepted twice by Lance Mel.

5.) 2007—Chargers 28, Colts 24—The 11-5 Chargers had no business beating the 14-2 Colts, but for some reason Peyton Manning and the Colts always had bad games against the Chargers, who could not beat anybody else. Philip Rivers was out, and backup Billy Volek led the win. The 2006 season saw the Colts beat the Patriots in the greatest AFC Title Game ever played. Had the Colts won this game against the Chargers, they would have had a rematch with the 16-0 Patriots in the greatest AFC Title Game to never be played. Manning and Brady would play in a couple more AFC Title Games, but none as historic as this one would have been. 

4.) 2008—Cardinals 33, Panthers 13—The 9-7 Cardinals did have Kurt Warner, but they went 2-4 to close the regular season. Despite stunning the 11-5 Falcons in the Wildcard, they were expected to lose big to 12-4 Carolina. That Panthers team with Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith looked like a Super Bowl team. Despite leading at halftime, the Panthers collapsed in the second half as Warner and Larry Fitzgerald were the ones putting the yards and points on the board. Delhomme was never the same after this game.

3.) 1987—Vikings 36, 49ers 24—This was Joe Montana’s one awful playoff meltdown. One year after San Francisco was belted 49-3 by the Giants, this time the 13-2 49ers were heavy favorites to beat the 8-7 Vikings. Although Minnesota upset the 12-3 Saints one week earlier, that was dismissed because neither New Orleans nor Jim Mora at that time had ever won a playoff game. In this game Montana threw four interceptions and was benched by Bill Walsh for Steve Young. The 49ers would rebound to win the Super Bowl the next two years.

2.) 1996—Jaguars 30, Broncos 27—The Jaguars were 4-7 before winning five straight. They needed a 30-yard missed field goal on the final play of the final regular season game by ace Morton Anderson to make the playoffs at 9-7. Even when they went and beat Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills 30-27, nobody gave them a chance against a 13-3 Broncos team that was expected to finally get John Elway his ring. Denver jumped to a 12-0 lead and then fell asleep as the Jaguars scored 23 unanswered points to lead 23-12 and then 30-20. Elway said it was the one time he cried after a game. The next year Elway would finally hoist the trophy, blasting Jacksonville along the way. The year after that, Denver won it all again and Elway retired on top.

1.) 1995—Colts 10, Chiefs 7—The 9-7 Colts were 4-7 before running the table and dispatching San Diego in the Wildcard. They had a tough quarterback in Jim Harbaugh, but were expected to be throttled by a 13-3 Chiefs team. Yes, Marty Schottenheimer suffered playoff losses, but this was one the Chiefs simply gave away. Steve Bono threw three interceptions in the second half and was replaced by Rich Gannon. Lin Elliot would miss three field goals, including the game-tying attempt late. A great quote for the ages came when announcer Paul Maguire said, “I hate kickers. They should be paid $50 a game.” He also said, “Well it doesn’t matter because Lin Elliot’s not going to be a Chief next year.” Elliot never kicked in the NFL again and Bono was gone from the team two years later.

NFL 2022-2023 Divisionals Prequel

The Divisional Playoffs are set:

Saturday, January 21, 2023:

4:30pm: AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs (-8 1/2) on NBC — The Jaguars started 4-8 before winning 5 straight to make the playoffs. They fell behind the Chargers 27-0 before mounting a shocking comeback and winning 31-30 on the final play. Doug Pederson is a protege of Walrus Andy Reid. Pederson is basically little Andy. Yet this is the week where reality ends the dream Jaguars season. The Chiefs are 14-3. Patrick Mahomes is playing on another level. The Chiefs have so many weapons. They have too much speed, and speed kills. The Jaguars have a ton of heart, but this is the men against the boys. Throw in the home field and the week of rest from the bye week, and this could get ugly early and stay that way. Chiefs cover

8:00pm: NFC: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-7) on FOX — The Eagles are well-rested after a bye week but were shaky down the stretch after a 13-1 start. The Giants defense went on the road as a wildcard and stopped a pretty explosive Minnesota offense. The Eagles defeated the Giants 2 weeks ago in the regular season finale, but the Giants were playing their backups. The Eagles have the home field and the rest, but Jalen Hurts is not healthy. Hurts less than 100% is red meat for Big Blue’s defense and trouble for the green faithful. If Saquon Barkley can take the pressure off of Daniel Jones, the Giants could even win this game outright. If Hurts is healthy, he will get plenty of help from his defense, reducing what he needs to do. Eagles win but fail to cover

Sunday, January 22, 2023:

3:00pm: AFC: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills (-4) on CBS — Three weeks ago the world watched in horror as Bills defender Damar Hamlin nearly died on the field after making a routine tackle of Tee Higgins. Thank God Hamlin made a miraculous recovery and is at home recuperating. Thankfully, Higgins is psychologically ok and playing in this game. Emotions will be sky high, but ;et’s focus just on football. The game is in Buffalo rather than at a neutral site. The Bengals have a legitimate gripe about that. These teams have both beaten Kansas City and are legitimate contenders to win it all. The Bills finished 13-3 and the Bengals were 12-4. Yet both teams barely survived in the Wildcard round against weaker teams playing backup quarterbacks. They are evenly matched. This could come down to the final play. Given the dead-even nature of these teams from quarterback to defense, go with the home field and the emotion from their earlier canceled games. If the Bills win a close one, the Bengals for years may claim being robbed of home field. It would not change the score. Bills win but fail to cover

6:30pm: NFC: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers (-3 1/2) on FOX — These teams played epic playoff games throughout the decades. Yet plenty of the players were not born the last time these teams faced off with the stakes so high. The 12-5 Cowboys went on the road and obliterated Tampa. The 13-4 49ers grappled with an overachieving Seattle team before blowing the game open in the second half. The Cowboys have an explosive offense led by Dak Prescott while the 49ers have a nasty defense. The 49ers also have Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy, who is 6-0 since taking over. The 49ers counting their Wildcard win have won 11 straight games. The Cowboys may also have a kicker problem. Brett Maher was good all season before melting down last week and missing 4 consecutive extra points. The home field is less important in this game. The defense will be decisive. 49ers cover

eric

NFL 2022-2023 Wildcard Recap.    

7) Seattle Seahawks at 2) San Francisco 49ers was the Saturday afternoon game on FOX. The 49ers started 3-4 but then won 10 straight. Even more amazing, they have started 3 different quarterbacks. Trey Lance got injured very early in the season. Jimmy Garoppolo, who was supposed to be shipped out of town, was doing well until he got injured later in the season. Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 Draft, has hone 5-0 in leading the 49ers to the two seed. The Seahawks snuck in the playoffs on the final regular season weekend with a 9-8 record. No coach has his finger on the pulse of his team or gets more out of less than Pete Carroll. He oversaw the Legion of Boom defense that made this the nastiest rivalry in the NFL. Yet this Seahawks team does not have a great defense. They have a revitalized Geno Smith.

Early on it was all 49ers. The 49ers moved from their own 46 to a 3rd and 3 at the Seattle 16. Purdy threw incomplete. Robbie Gould hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 15. Christian McCaffrey immediately ripped off a 68 yard gain. On 2nd and 13, Purdy hit Mitchell for 18. Purdy hit McCaffrey for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 49ers. 

The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 5 at thrown 27. Smith DK Metcalf for 12. Walker ran for 4 and 6. Smith ran for 11. On 3rd and 4 from the San Francisco 27, Smith hit Tyler Lockett for 6. As the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with Kenneth Walker running for 2, 5, and the 7 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 78  yard, 7 minute drive got Seahawks within 10-7. After a touchback the 49ers moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Seattle 12. Purdy was sacked to kill the drive. Gould hit from 33 to make it 13-7 49ers. The Seahawks took over at their own 29. Smith hit fast for 11. On 3rd and 3 from midfield, Smith went bombs away to Metcalf for the touchdown. With 5 minutes left in the half, the Seahawks led 14-13. 

With 1:08 left, the 49ers took over at their own 23. The 49ers quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 28 with 41 seconds left. Purdy went deep incomplete thrice. Gould hit the 46 yard field goal. With 13 seconds left, the 49ers led 16-14. Yet Kyle Shanahan, who has a history of bad coaching decisions in big games, made another one. Rather than kick the ball deep out the back of the end zone, he decided to squib kick it. This allowed the Seahawks to take over at their own 38 with 9 seconds left. Smith ran for 9 yards, and a mindless defensive unnecessary roughness penalty added 15 more. With one second left, Jason Myers came in for a 56 yard field goal try. The kick was good. The Seahawks led 17-16 at the half.

The Seahawks were plucky and over-achieving. The 49ers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Purdy gained 3. Purdy went to George Kittle for 23. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 37, Purdy hit Deebo Samuel for 21. McCaffrey ran for 7, 2, and on 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 7, 5 more. Purdy ran for a one yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, nearly 8 minute drive had the 49ers back on top 23-17. After a touchback, the Seahawks moved 45 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. On 2nd and 9 from the Seattle 14, Smith hit Lockett for 7. Yet an ineligible man downfield nullified the gain. An incompletion left 3rd and 14 from the San Francisco 19. The Seahawks still had a chance to lead. Even a field goal would make it a 3 point game. Then came the play of the game. Smith was sacked and fumbled. Nick Bosa recovered for the 49ers at their own 30. Smith has been plagued by fumbling problems throughout his career. 

Purdy hit Samuel for 11. McCaffrey ripped off gains of 8 and 12 as the third quarter ended. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Purdy went deep to Jennings for 33. Purdy went to Mitchell for the 7 yard touchdown. Purdy hit Kittle for the 2 point conversion. One minute into the fourth quarter, the 49ers led 31-17. The 49ers got it back at their own 24. Purdy went to Samuel for a 74 yard touchdown. 11 minutes remained, but the 49ers were now comfortably ahead 38-17. Smith was then immediately intercepted, leading to a 31 yard Gould field goal to make it 41-17 49ers with 5minutes left. 25 unanswered points turned a close game into a blowout. The Seahawks managed one garbage touchdown but no more as the 49ers advance to the Divisional round match at home. 41-23 49ers 

5) Los Angeles Chargers at 4) Jacksonville Jaguars was the Saturday night game on NBC. Although the Chargers had the better record, the Jaguars had the home field due to winning their division. Doug Pederson was supposed to need 2 years to turn the Jaguars around, but despite starts of 2-6 and 4-8, the Jaguars came in winners of 5 straight games. Despite consecutive winning seasons, Brandon Staley has been criticized for ill-times 4th down gambles and other questionable coaching decisions. Last week Staley played his starters despite having clinched their playoff spot. This led to Mike Williams getting injured and missing this game. 

On the second play from scrimmage on 2nd and 6 from his own 28, Trevor Lawrence had his pass batted, juggled and intercepted by Tranquill. The acrobatic interception was returned by Tranquill 15 yards to the Jacksonville 18. Two plays later, Austin Ekeler ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers less than 90 seconds into the game. The Jaguars after a touchback moved to a 4th and 7 at the Chargers 33. Doug Pederson passed up a 51 yard field goal try and went for it. Lawrence was intercepted by Asante Samuel, who returned the pick 16 yards to his own 39. The Chargers moved 57 yards in 12 plays. On 2nd and goal at the 4, Herbert threw incomplete twice. Cameron Dicker hit a 22 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Chargers. 

The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 19. Lawrence was intercepted by Samuel again. The Chargers had another short field at the Jacksonville 16. Ekeler ran for 7, 3, and the 6 yard touchdown. 3 interceptions of Lawrence had the Chargers up 17-0 after the first quarter. The Chargers got it back and faced 3rd and 5 from their own 43. Justin Herbert hit Donald Parham for 12. On 3rd and 11 from the Jacksonville 46, Herbert went to Keenan Allen for 23 and Palmer for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Herbert hit Gerald Everett for the touchdown to make it 24-0 Chargers. The Jaguars got a jolt when the ensuing kickoff was returned to midfield. Yet on 3rd and 10, Lawrence was intercepted for the 4th time on the day and for the 3rd time by Samuel. The Jaguars defense held but the punt bonked off of a Jacksonville platyer’s helmet. After a mad scramble, the Chargers recovered at the Jacksonville 6 yard line. Yet the Chargers did not slam the door shut. A run gained one yard and Herbert threw incomplete. Dicker hit the 23 yard field goal. 5 turnovers including 4 by Lawrence had the Chargers up 27-0 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. 

The Chargers got it back at their own 18 with 3:11 left in the half. All Brandon Staley had to do was run the ball, eat up the clock, and then do likewise in the second half. This game was over as long as Staley ran the ball. Instead he came out throwing. On 3rd and 1, Herbert fumbled the snap. The Chargers retained possession but lost 10 yards and had to punt. A short 34 yard punt gave the Jaguars a short field at the Chargers 47 with 1:49 left. Lawrence hit Travis Etienne for 12. On 4th and 1 from the Chargers 26, Doug Pederson passed up a 44 yard field goal try and went for it. Lawrence hit Jones for 12. Lawrence hit Evan Engram for a 9 yard touchdown. With 24 seconds left, the Jaguars were finally on the board down 27-7.

In the third quarter, Staley refused to commit to the run, as Herbert came out throwing. The Chargers punted and the Jaguars took over at their own 11. Lawrence hit Christian Kirk for 10, Engram for 7, Zee Jones for 5, Engram for 9, Kirk for 5, and Engram for 24. On 3rd and 7 from the Chargers 19, Lawrence was sacked for a 16 yard loss. Yet Joey Bosa had lined up offside, so instead of 4th and 23 it was 3rd and 2. Etienne gained 7. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Lawrence hit Jones for the touchdown. The 14 play, 89 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Jaguars within 27-14 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. The Chargers took over at their own 23. Staley kept calling pass plays and Herbert kept throwing. The Chargers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 31. A run lost a yard and Herbert threw incomplete twice. Dicker nailed a 50 yard field goal to put the Chargers up 30-14 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. 

The Jaguars took over at their own 32. Etienne gained 5. Lawrence went to Jones went to 11. Etienne added 8 and 5. Lawrence went deep to Jones for a 39 yard touchdown. Doug Pederson went for 2. While the try failed, a mindless defensive unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Joey Bosa after the play nearly saw him ejected. The rest of the game, Bosa was rattled. Meanwhile, the Jaguars were only down 30-20 after three quarters. The Chargers took over at their own 20 to start the fourth quarter and moved 58 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. A touchdown would put the Chargers up 37-20 and pretty much lock up the win. On 3rd and 3 from the Jacksonville 22, Herbert threw incomplete. Dicker came in for a 40 yard field goal try to make it 33-20 Chargers. Yet the kick was no good, hooking wide left at the last possible moment. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Chargers still only led 30-20. 

The Jaguars got it back and an immediate sack of Lawrence had then facing 2nd and 19 from their own 21. Yet on the next incompletion, defensive pass interference meant 6 yards and an automatic first down. Lawrence then went to Jones for 8, Kirk for gains of 12 and 17, and Engram for 21. Lawrence went to Kirk for a 9 yard touchdown. After the score, a disgusted Bosa slammed his helmet down in frustration. The resulting unsportsmanlike conduct penalty did not result in an ejection but did affect the conversion. With the ball on the one instead of the two, Doug Pederson gambled on a 2 point try. Lawrence got in by leaping over the top and barely stretching the ball over the plane of the goal. With 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Jaguars were only down 30-28. 

Staley could still run the ball and run out the clock, but stubborn is as stubborn does. He kept throwing, and after a touchback Herbert was immediately sacked. The Chargers went 3 and out and the Jaguars took over at their own 21 with 3:20 to play. The Jaguars only needed a field goal to win. Lawrence went to Kirk for 12. Lawrence ran for 8 and went to Kirk for 9, With 90 seconds left on 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 41, Lawrence threw incomplete. A field goal try would be 59 yards. Even if it was good, the Chargers would still have plenty of time to drive for the win. So on 4th and inches, Doug Pederson went for it. Everyone bunched up the middle expecting a quarterback sneak. Etienne got around the end for a 25 yard gain and purposely went down inbounds. Now a field goal try would only be 32 yards. The Chargers could still take their timeouts on defense in the hopes of having 30 to 45 seconds left to pull off a miracle. 

This time Brandon Staley lost his mind. He just let the clock run down. He is known for his many bad decisions on offense, but the former defensive coordinator is supposed to know defense. Timeouts are useless in the locker room after the game. Yet Staley did not call one. Etienne ran for a 2 yard loss to center the ball as the clock kept running down. On 2nd and 12 from the Chargers 18, Doug Pederson finally called timeout with 3 seconds left. There would be no reprieve for a bad snap or hold. Riley Patterson came in for the 36 yard field goal try to pull off the shocking comeback. The kick kept drifting rightward but barely snuck inside the right upright. At first it appeared no good but officials ruled it was good. The Jaguars celebrated but there was a flag on the play. An offensive penalty would nullify the kick and end the game without a chance for a retry. Yet the penalty was on the defense for jumping offside. 17 unanswered points and a 31-3 Jaguars explosion erased the 27 point deficit. The Chargers collapse was complete. Speculation immediately centered on whether Staley would be fired. His absolute refusal to run the ball along with mismanaging the timeouts cost his team the game. As for Lawrence, after a first half with 4 interceptions, he responded by also finishing with 4 touchdown passes. This was a comeback for the ages. 31-30 Jaguars

7) Miami Dolphins at 2) Buffalo Bills was the Sunday morning game on CBS. The Bills entered the playoffs with a 13-3 record and a wave of emotion. Less than 2 weeks after Damar Hamlin nearly died on the field, he was in the locker room just to encourage his teammates before this game. He spent game day at home recovering from his near fatal heart attack. The Dolphins started 8-3 but collapsed down the stretch. They had lost 5 straight before barely surviving the Jets at home 11-6 in a finale with no touchdowns to get to 9-8. Tua Tagovailoa was out injured with a concussion and backup Teddy Bridgewater was out with a broken finger. The warm weather Dolphins had to go into cold weather Buffalo and win with 3rd string quarterback Skylar Thompson. The heavily favored Bills were riding a wave of emotion and expected to dominate this game.

The Bills began at their own 27. Josh Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 20. On 3rd and 15 from his own 42, Allen went bombs away to Diggs for a 52 yard gain. On the next play Allen went to Dawson Knox for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. Two plays after a touchback, Thompson was intercepted. Marlowe returned the interception 10 yards to the Miami 23. On 3rd and 1, Singletary gained 2. On the next play James Cook ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Bills. The Bils got it back at their on 33 and moved 52 yards in 11 plays and nearly 5 minutes. 90 seconds into the second quarter on 2nd and 8 to the Miami 13, Allen went to Knox for the touchdown. 21-0 probably would have ended the game, but the touchdown was reversed to an incompletion. Then Allen was sacked. Tyler Bass hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Bills early in the second quarter. The rout was on. 

Then it was not. Bass kicked the kickoff out of bounds to set up the Dolphins at their own 40. They moved 38 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 2nd and 9 from the Buffalo 15, Thomson was sacked to kill the drive. Jason Sanders hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 17-3. Three plays after a touchback from his own 47, Allen went for it all and was intercepted by Xavier Howard at the 3 yard line. Howard returned the interception 49 yards to the Buffalo 48. On 4th and 8, Mike McDaniel went for it and Thompson hit Wilson for 13. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 30, Thompson threw incomplete. Sanders hit a 48 yard field goal. The Dolphins trailed 17-6 with 2:15 left in the half. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 30. Allen went bombs away to Shakir for a 64 yard gain. Yet on further review, the play was reversed to an incompletion. The Bills punted and Wilson returned the punt 50 yards to the Buffalo 27. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 19, Thompson threw incomplete. On 4th and 2, McDaniel was not in a gambling mood. Sanders hit his third field goal from 37 to get the Dolphins within 17-9 with 1:15 left in the half. 

After a touchback, all the Bills had to do was get to the half. Yet Sean McDermott decided to stay aggressive. On the third play of the drive from his own 36, Allen was intercepted again. This time it was Holland who returned the pick 29 yards to the Buffalo 18. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 9, Thompson followed up his 12 yard run with a critical 2 yard gain. On the next play Thompson went to Mike Gesicki for a 7 yard touchdown. Thompson went to Tyreek Hill for the 2 point conversion. The game was tied 17-17, but the Dolphins left 33 seconds on the clock. After a touchback, the Bills quickly moved to the Miami 21. Bass hit a 39 yard field goal to put the Bills back up 20-17 at the half. The Dolphins went 3 and out to start the third quarter, and the Bills took over after one minute at their own 30. On their first play of the second half, disaster struck. Allen got blasted in the pocket and fumbled. After a mad scramble, Sieler picked up the fumble and coasted 5 yards into the end zone. The defensive touchdown gave the Dolphins their first lead of the game up 24-20. 

The defenses dug in as the Bills punted on their next 2 drives sandwiched around a Miami punt. Midway through the third quarter, a sack of Thompson had the Dolphins facing 3rd and 19 from their own 8 yard line. The safe call would be a give up run and a punt. The Dolphins were winning with defense. A field position game made sense. Yet neither coach was playing it safe in this game. Thompson went deep and was intercepted to set up the Bills at the Miami 33. Allen hit Gabriel Davis for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Miami 18, Allen ran for 12. Allen hit Cole Beasley for the 6 yard touchdown to put the Bills back up 27-24. The Bills got it back at their own 32. Allen hit Morris for 12. On 3rd and 6 from their own 48, Allen went to Beasley for 29 yards.  On the next play Allen went to Davis for the 23 yard touchdown. The Bills led 34-24 after three quarters, but this game was not over. 

After a touchback, Thompson went to Hill for 12. Defensive pass interference added 8 more yards. The fourth quarter began with the Dolphins at midfield. Thompson went to Wilson for 14 and Ahmed for 13. A sack of Thompson meant 2nd and 18 from the Buffalo 31. Thompson went to Ahmed for 20. Wilson ran for a one yard touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Dolphins were within a field goal. The defenses dug in again as the Bills again punted twice sandwiched around a Miami punt. With 4 1/2 minutes left the Dolphins took over at their own 14. They moved to a 3rd and 1 at their own 48. Ahmed got the carry and got stopped cold for no gain. On 4th and inches, the Dolphins lined up to go for it. A costly delay of game penalty meant 4th and 5. Thompson then threw incomplete. 

The Dolphins were out of timeouts but the 2 minute warning would stop the clock. 2:22 remained. That meant if the Dolphins could get a stop, they would have maybe 20 to 30 seconds to get in field goal range. Remember, the Bills took the lead with 13 seconds left in last year’s AFC Title Game. That was enough time for Kansas City to force overtime. The Dolphins needed only a field goal. Everything came down to the Bills facing 3rd and 7 from the Miami 40 with 1:15 left. Singletary got the carry and at first appeared stopped after 3 or 4 yards. Yet the whistle did not blow and Singletary kept dragging defenders with help from his offense as everyone trie to move the pile. By the time Singletary finally came down, he was only inches short of the first down marker. Officials called it a first down. Replay showed Singletary was short, but barely. Perhaps by the nose of the ball. It would be 4th and inches for all the marbles. Except it wouldn’t. In a shocking move, the officials affirmed the first down. Allen took a knee and ended things. The Dolphins were game, but the Bills are the ones moving on. 34-31 Bills

6) New York Giants at 3) Minnesota Vikings was the Sunday afternoon game on FOX. The Giants entered as the 10-7 Wildcard against the 12-5 Vikings. The Vikings have an explosive offense but have question marks on defense. The Giants brought the defense. The Vikings had the home field, but the Giants rested their starters last week to keep them fresh. Both Brian Daboll and Kevin O’Connell were in their first season as an NFL head coach and their first playoff game. After an opening touchback, the Vikings moved with ease. Kirk Cousins hit Justin Jefferson for 10. Dalvin Cook ran for 9 and 2. Cousins hit Jefferson for 10 and Adam Thielen for 13. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 10, Cousins went to TJ Hockenson for 4. Cousins ran for a one yard touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Giants.

Yet the Giants punched back quickly and easily. Offensive holding had them facing 1st and 20 at their own 15. Daniel Jones hit James for 13 and ran for 7 himself. Jones went to Darrius Slayton for 22 and ran for 15 more. Saquon Barkley ran for a 15 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Giants got it back at their own 19 and again made it look easy. Jones went deep to Slayton for 47 yards. Barkley then ran for 16. Isaiah Hodgins ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Giants. The Giants got it back at their own 9 yard line to start the second quarter and embarked on the drive of the year. 20…yes, 20…plays. 85 yards. 11…yes, 11 minutes off the clock. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 6, Brian Daboll refused to play smash mouth. The drive was vintage New York Giants football. The last 2 plays were not. Jones threw incomplete twice. Graham Gano hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Giants. 

The Giants soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Cousins went to Hockenson for big gains of 27 and 28. Cousins went to Jefferson for 6 and to KJ Osborn for a 9 yard touchdown. With 45 second left in the half, the Vikings were within 17-14. Yet after a third quarter touchback, the Giants kept rolling. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Jones went to Barkley for 24 and to Hodgins for 32. Jones went to Bellinger for a 9 yard touchdown and a 24-14 Giants lead. After a touchback, Cousins went to Mundt for 12. On 3rd and 7 from their own 47, Cousins went to Hockenson for 19 and to Thielen for 25. Cousins hit Smith for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Vikings within 24-21 midway through the third quarter. The Vikings got it back at their own 24 and moved 56 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On the last play of the third quarter, Kevin O’Connell gambled on 4th and 2 from the Giants 43. Cousins went to Hockenson for 18 yards. In the fourth quarter O’Connell gambled again on 4th and 1 from the Giants 16. Yet a false start killed the try. Greg Joseph hit the 38 yard field goal try. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the game was tied 24-24.

After a touchback, Jones hit Slayton for 14 and James for 11 to midfield. Jones went to Hodgins for 19.  and Barkley for 10. With 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Giants faced 4th and 1 at the Minnesota 7 yard line. A field goal would give the Giants the lead. Yet Brian Daboll wanted it all. It seemed like a reckless decision, but he gambled and won when Jones snuck the ball for a 2 yard gain. Barkley ran for a 2 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Giants led by 7 rather than 3. The Vikings quickly went 3 and out and Kevin O’Connell decided to punt and trust his defense with 6 1/2 minutes still left. The Vikings got the ball back with 3 minutes left at their own 12 yard line, plenty of time to tie the game. With 1:44 left after an incompletion, the Vikings faced 4th and 8 at their own 48. They were out of timeouts. This was their last gasp. Cousins hit Hockenson, who was quickly tackled after a 3 yard gain. Jones took 3 knees to give the Giants the surprising road win. 31-24 Giants  

6) Baltimore Ravens at 3) Cincinnati Bengals was the Sunday night game on NBC. This was a typical AFC North street fight. There was no finesse. This was stone age football. With hard-nosed running and brutal defense. Last year the Ravens started 8-3. Then Lamar Jackson got injured and the Ravens lost 6 straight games. This year the Ravens started 10-3 before Jackson got injured. The Ravens lost their last 4 games and backed into the playoffs. Last week the Ravens lost at Cincinnati 27-16, and were now facing the Bengals on that same field. Again Tyler Huntley would start despite the Ravens being 0-10 in those late games Huntley or 3rd stringer Anthony Brown filled in for Jackson. The Bengals had their starters heathy, but the Ravens turned this into a bare-fisted defensive slobber-knocker. The Bengals happily obliged.

After a touchback, the Bengal moved 54 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 1st and 10 from the Baltimore 21, Zac Taylor abandoned smashmouth. Joe Burrow threw 3 straight incompletions. Evan McPherson hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bengals. 5 plays later Huntley was intercepted, setting up the Bengals at their own 40. Burrow hit Hurst for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 45, Burrow hit JaMarr Chase for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Baltimore 33, Burrow hit Chase for 13. On the last play of the first quarter, Burrow hit Chase for 12. On the first play of the second quarter, Burrow hit Chase for a 7 yard touchdown. McPherson missed the extra point but the Bengals led 9-0.

Yet the Ravens after a touchback embarked on a mind-numbing drive. 17 plays and 75 yards took 10 minutes offf the clock. Huntley went to Sammy Watkins for 12. On 3rd and 1 from their own 46, Edwards gained 4. JK Dobbins ran for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 28, Mark Andrews got stopped for no gain. John Harbaugh gambled on 4th and 1 rather than try a 46 yard field goal with the best kicker in the game. Huntley kept the ball and gained 2. Huntley then hit Andrews for 14. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincinnati 6, Huntley was sacked. Yet a defensive facemask penalty instead meant 1st and goal at the 3. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Huntley hit Dobbins for the touchdown. With 5 minutes left in the half, the Ravens were within 9-7. The Bengals took over at their own 30 but a sack of Burrow meant 3rd and 16 from their own 39. Burrow went to Hurst for 6 yards on what was meant to be a short give up play. Yet Hurst got blasted and fumbled. The Ravens recovered at the Cincinnati 44. The Ravens moved to a 1st and goal at the 3 with 23 seconds left. Yet after a short Huntley pass lost a yard, he threw 2 more incompletions to leave 7 seconds. Tucker hit the 22 yard field goal. The earlier missed extra point was the difference as the Ravens took a 10-9 lead to the locker rooms. 

The Bengals in the third quarter soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 26. Burrow gained 4. Joe Mixon gained 7 and 4. Burrow hit Tyler Boyd for 10 and 5. O 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 48 after a false start, Burrow hit Chase for 10 and again for 19. Burrow went to Hurst for 18 down to the one. Burrow got in to cap the 12 play, 83 yard, 7 minute drive. Zac Taylor went for 2 and Burrow hit Tee Higgins for the conversion to make it 17-10 Bengals. In a game where every yard was fought for, this time the Ravens from their own 19 struck quickly. Huntley went to Dobbins for 27 and Edwards for 13. Huntley then went to DeMarcus Robinson for a 41 yard touchdown. The game was tied 17-17 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Ravens moved from their own 18 on an 80 yard drive. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Ravens faced 3rd and goal at the one. Even if they failed to take the 24-17, an almost automatic Tucker field goal would put them up 20-17. Then came the play of the game and the entire season for both teams. 

Huntley took the quarterback sneak and tried to leap over the top and stretch the ball over the plane of the goal. At the goal line, he had the ball knocked out of his hands by Pratt. Huntley celebrated, insisting that he had scored the touchdown. Yet no whistle had blown. The ball bounced to Cincinnati defensive end Sam Hubbard, who returned the ball and rumbled down the field with a convoy of blockers. One final attempt at tackling him failed. Hubbard returned the fumble 98 yards for a defensive touchdown. Chaos ensued as each team thought they were on their way to a 24-17 lead. Officials got the all right. Replay clearly showed that Huntley was short of the goal line when he fumbled. It was the Bengals, not the Ravens, who were up by 7. Both defenses dug in as each team the punted twice. Yet a 16 yard punt return with 5 more tacked on for a penalty had the Ravens taking over with a short field at the Cincy 46 with 3:12 to play. That was plenty of time to tie the game or even go for the win. 

With 34 seconds left, the Ravens had moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincy 17. After an incompletion, John Harbaugh made a very questionable coaching decision. He decided to surprise the Bengals by calling a running play with the entire football world expecting passes. The Bengals were not fooled as the play only gained 4 yards. Making matters worse, offensive holding on the play meant 2nd and 20 instead of 2nd and 6. Two more Huntley incompletions left 8 seconds. The Ravens were facing 4th and 20 from the Cincy 27. Huntley rolled out and threw the shortened version of the Hail Mary. Everyone jumped for the ball in the end zone. It was deflected backward to an open Baltimore receiver. The receiver dove for the ball and even got one hand on it but not both hands as the ball bounced off his fingers incomplete. It was a typical ugly but beautiful AFC North game. The defending AFC Champions survived. 24-17 Bengals

5) Dallas Cowboys at 4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the Monday night game on ESPN/ABC. The Cowboys entered the playoffs 12-5 while the Buccaneers were a horrendous 8-9. It was Tom Brady’s first losing season in 23 years, but it was good enough to win the awful NFC South. The Cowboys as a Wildcard would have to win at Tampa. The Cowboys have far more talent, especially on offense. Yet in his career, Brady has never lost to Dallas, a perfect 7-0. Mike McCarthy knows offense and Todd Bowles knows defense, but both coaches would be on the hot seat with a loss. Each team punted twice to start, but then the Cowboys went on a roll.

The Cowboys began their third drive at their own 20. Dak Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 15. Roughing the passer added 15 more. Tony Pollard added 18. Prescott went to Dalton Schultz for a 22 yard touchdown. Brett Maher missed the extra point as the Cowboys led 6-0. After a touchback, the Buccaneers moved 70 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. The second quarter began with the Buccaneers facing 1st and goal at the 5. After an incompletion, Brady went to the end zone and was intercepted by Kearse for a touchback. The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 29. Ezekiel Elliott gained 3. On 3rd and 3 from their own 39, Prescott hit Pollard for 5. On 3rd and 8 from their own 46, Prescott hit TY Hilton for 14.  Prescott then went to Ferguson for 34. On 3rd and goal at the one, Elliott got stopped for no gain. Mike McCarthy gambled. On 4th and goal, a fake handoff drew everyone to the middle. Prescott rolled out on a naked bootleg and easily strutted into the end zone. Maher missed his 2nd straight extra point wide right but the 15 play, 80 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive had the Cowboys led 12-0.

The Cowboys got the ball back at their own 9 yard line. Prescott hit Hilton for 9 and Dalton Schultz for 20. On 3rd and 6 from their own 44, Prescott ran for 11. On 2nd and 15 from midfield, Prescott went to CeeDee Lamb for 20, Gallup for 13, Schultz for 6, and Shultz again for an 11 yard touchdown. Maher’s nightmarish night continued as his 3rd missed extra point this time was wide left. Yet the 11 play, 91 yard drive made it 18-0 Cowboys. Needing a comeback, the Buccaneers quickly went 3 and out. The Cowboys took over at their own 14. Prescott went to Schultz for 26. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Prescott went to Lamb for 26. Pollard ran for 18. Prescott went to Gallup for a 2 yard touchdown to cap the 86 yard drive. The Cowboys had 4 straight touchdown drives, all of them at least 80 yards. Everything was going right for the Cowboys except for their kicker. Maher missed his 4th straight extra point try and 5th dating back to the previous week as the Cowboys led 24-0.

The Buccaneers were down by 24, but Tom Brady came back from down 25 in the Super Bowl a few years ago. Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was the losing head coach in that Super Bowl meltdown. Late n the third quarter the Buccaneers took over at their own 5 yard line. On 3rd and 7, Brady went to White for 11 and Chris Godwin for 16. Godwin fumbled and the Cowboys recovered, but officials ruled Godwin was down by contact. Replay showed that Godwin was losing the ball before he hit the ground. It would not be the first time in his career that Brady benefited from officials incorrectly reversing a fumble to an incompletion. Brady hit Russell Gage and Jons for a pair of 7 yard gains. On 3rd and 7 from the Dallas 48, Brady went to Mike Evans for 18. On the last play of the third quarter, Brady went deep to Julio Jones for a 30 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Buccaneers were within 24-6. 

A good kickoff return had the Cowboys taking over at their own 34. Prescott hit Brown for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Tampa 47, Prescott hit Gallup for 12. Pollard gained 11. On 4th and 4 from the Tampa 18, Maher was ready to try a 36 yard field goal. Mike McCarthy was having none of it. After 4 missed extra points, Maher was kept on the bench and McCarthy went for it. The gamble paid off as Prescott found a wide open Lamb, who waltzed into the end zone for an 18 yard touchdown. After 6 combined touchdowns, 5 of them by Dallas, the game finally saw a successful extra point. Maher’s first good kick had the Cowboys up 31-6 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Buccaneers moved from their own 16 to a 1st and goal at the 2. Brady threw incomplete twice and then was sacked. On 4th and goal from the 11 under heavy pressure, Brady as he was going down threw a desperation incompletion to nobody. This time there would be no comeback, although the Buccaneers did get a garbage touchdown with 2 minutes left. If this was Brady’s final game, it ended in humiliating fashion. Todd Bowles is now on the hot seat whether or not Brady returns. As for the Cowboys, they are at San Francisco in the Divisional round. 31-14 Cowboys 

The Divisional Playoffs are set:

NFC: 

6.) New York Giants at 1.) Philadelphia Eagles

5.) Dallas Cowboys at 2.) San Francisco 49ers

AFC:

4.) Jacksonville Jaguars at 1.) Kansas City Chiefs

3.) Cincinnati Bengals at 2.) Buffalo Bills

Saturday, January 21, 2023:

4:30pm: AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs on NBC

8:00pm: NFC: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles on FOX

Sunday, January 22, 2023:

3:00pm: AFC: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills on CBS

6:30pm: NFC: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers on FOX

eric

NFL 2022-203 WildCard Prequel

The Wildcard Playoff games are set:

Saturday, January 14, 2023, 4:30pm

NFC: 7) Seattle Seahawks at 2) San Francisco 49ers (-9 1/2) on FOX — A decade ago these teams were fighting for supremacy in the NFC. The 49ers are as good if not better than those teams. Their defense is just as nasty if not nastier. The Seahawks are no longer the Legion of Boom. Now they are just a plucky over-achieving team. Pete Carroll has his finger on the pulse of his team like nobody else. He has certainly helped Geno Smith. Yet the 49ers have the story of the year in Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy, who is 5-0 as a starter. This game will not be a blowout given the intense rivalry of these teams. Yet the 49ers are the superior team with the better defense. 49ers win but fail to cover

8pm

AFC: 5) Los Angeles Chargers (-2) at 4) Jacksonville Jaguars on NBC — The Jaguars were 2-6 and then Doug Pederson turned them around. Early in the season the Jaguars went on the road and throttled the Chargers 38-10. The Chargers on paper are the better team. Yet the Jaguars have momentum. Home field will not be an issue since these are both warm weather teams. Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence are both playing well. The Chargers have the better receivers and the Jaguars have the better running game.The Jaguars have a slight edge on defense. The coaching edge is not close. Pederson is much better than Brandon Staley, who frequently makes reckless gambles. The Chargers have a couple of injuries at key positions. Go with momentum. The Jaguars are peaking at the right time. Upset special, Jaguars win outright

Sunday, January 15, 1pm

AFC: 7) Miami Dolphins at 2) Buffalo Bills (-13) on CBS — These teams split a pair of nasty games. Early in the season these teams were evenly matched. Yet Tua Tagovailoa has been injured in several games this season. He is out this game, which makes it a mismatch. The Bills are still riding the wave of emotion coming from the Damar Hamlin situation. Hamlin has made a miraculous recovery, and the Bills have rallied around him. Even without those events, the Bills have the home field crowd, the cold weather against a warm weather team, an outstanding defense, and a great quarterback in Josh Allen. The Dolphins lost five straight games before eking out a 9-6 win over the reeling Jets at home to back into the playoffs. The Bills are in Super Bowl mode. The Dolphins will not be able to keep up playing a backup quarterback. Bills cover

4:30pm

NFC: 6) New York Giants at 3) Minnesota Vikings (-3) on FOX — The Giants are a feel-good story. Brian Daboll has turned the Giants around and gotten the most out of Daniel Jones. Saquon Barkley is running well. Yet the Giants are not built to come back if they fall behind. The Vikings have an explosive offense. Kirk Cousins can go to Justin Jefferson any time, with Dalvin Cook running to keep defenses honest. The Vikings set an NFL record by overcoming a 33-0 halftime deficit to win. The Vikings have lost a couple brutal games at home, but the Giants lack the firepower. Inside a comfortable dome, go with the speed of the Vikings offense. Vikings cover

8pm

AFC: 6) Baltimore Ravens at 3) Cincinnati Bengals (-7) on NBC — Last year the Ravens were 8-3 until Lamar Jackson got injured. The Ravens then went 0-6. This year the Ravens were 10-3 and in contention to win the AFC North. Then Jackson got hurt again and the Ravens backed into the playoffs with four straight losses. The Bengals started 0-2 before quickly turning things around. Joe Burrow has so many weapons to go to. With Jackson, this is an exciting game. Without him, this is a mismatch. The Bengals beat the Ravens by 11 last week. You can only throw in so many wrinkles with backup quarterbacks. The Ravens win with running and defense, which is tough to do when trailing. Bengals cover

Monday, January 16, 8pm

NFC: 5) Dallas Cowboys (-2 1/2) at 4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers on ESPN/ABC — The Buccaneers only went 8-9, becoming the fourth team to make the playoffs with a losing record. This was Tom Brady’ s first losing season. On paper, the Cowboys are the better team. Yet Brady is undefeated against the Cowboys, going 7-0 in that span. Home field will not matter. Neither of these teams plays in cold weather. Dak Prescott and company play well in the regular season, but often flame out in the postseason. Mike McCarthy knows offense and Todd Bowles knows defense. These Buccaneers are a shell of the team that won it all two years ago, but the Cowboys do not get the benefit of the doubt until they prove themselves in the postseason. Brady gutted the Buccaneers to the postseason and may have one more miracle left in him. Betting against him has been a fool’s errand for a long time. Upset special, Buccaneers win outright