NFL 2022: The playoffs thread

It is just hilarious that the Cowboys went for that fourth down, got a TD thanks to utter defensive incompetence, and then they do get the kicker to take the PAT and he finally makes it.

I don't think our boy Byron will be doing much head coach interviewing this year.

Announcer jinx. They said Brady's last pass so of course they get the onside kick

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

, Evans has been slower this year,

Should have just cut it to 10. Wow what a drop

I'm going to get out ahead of the hot takery and say that Brady's career as a top level quarterback is officially done. Someone might still sign whatever's left of him, but this is the last time anyone's going to say, "Yeah, but he's Tom Brady."

Ok it’s very weird that 3 of the 4 remaining playoff teams in the NFC are from one division.

TheGameguru wrote:

Ok it’s very weird that 3 of the 4 remaining playoff teams in the NFC are from one division.

and a division generally known for bad football.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:
Please go away: Bucaneers

Panthers fans can't spell.

That's because there's only one C in C YA LATER!

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/jzdowlL0DjG7Hhm8no/giphy.gif)

If Jaycee Horn hadn't shattered his wrist in Week 16, last night's game would have been played in Charlotte (which also has only one C). Sigh.

Anyway, let's look at the Divisional Round, aka the Best Weekend of Football of the Year.

Saturday
Jags at Chiefs, 4:30 p.m.
TV: NBC (Tirico/Collinsworth)
Line (via CBS Sports): Chiefs -9 (ooof), Over/Under 52

Giants at Eagles, 8:15 p.m.
TV: Fox (tba, but most likely either Kevin Burkhardt/Greg Olsen or Joe Davis/Daryl Johnston)
Line: Eagles -7.5, O/U 47.5

Sunday
Bengals at Bills, 3 p.m.
TV: CBS (Nantz, Romo)
Line: Bills -4, O/U 50

Cowboys at Niners, 6:30 p.m.
TV: Fox (tba)
Line: Niners -4, O/U 46

Pretty indicative of how meh the NFC is currently.

Not only is it 3/4 teams from the East it's not like some other notable team got knocked out by upset/fluke.

Rams, Packers, Buccaneers were all garbage this year. Lions would of been a better frisky wild card over the Seahawks but we would still have the same 4 at this point.

jowner wrote:

Pretty indicative of how meh the NFC is currently.

Not only is it 3/4 teams from the East it's not like some other notable team got knocked out by upset/fluke.

Rams, Packers, Buccaneers were all garbage this year. Lions would of been a better frisky wild card over the Seahawks but we would still have the same 4 at this point.

All the Officially Exciting Younger QBs are in the AFC; Mahomes, Burrow, Herbert, Lamar, Allen, Football Jesus, and you can go on. There are no QBs anybody gives a crap about in the NFC South. The North is, what, Cousins or an aging Qaaron? The West is either believing in the Geno Reclamation Project or drinking the Purdy Kool-Aid, and the East, I guess Hurts has had a hell of a year?

At some point, someone in the NFC is going to draft a QB, right?

*Legion* wrote:

I don't think our boy Byron will be doing much head coach interviewing this year.

Turns out he will be doing plenty of QB coach interviewing though, as the Bucs just fired him.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:
jowner wrote:

Pretty indicative of how meh the NFC is currently.

Not only is it 3/4 teams from the East it's not like some other notable team got knocked out by upset/fluke.

Rams, Packers, Buccaneers were all garbage this year. Lions would of been a better frisky wild card over the Seahawks but we would still have the same 4 at this point.

All the Officially Exciting Younger QBs are in the AFC; Mahomes, Burrow, Herbert, Lamar, Allen, Football Jesus, and you can go on. There are no QBs anybody gives a crap about in the NFC South. The North is, what, Cousins or an aging Qaaron? The West is either believing in the Geno Reclamation Project or drinking the Purdy Kool-Aid, and the East, I guess Hurts has had a hell of a year?

At some point, someone in the NFC is going to draft a QB, right?

IMAGE(https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/63/2022/10/19228443.jpg)

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

All the Officially Exciting Younger QBs are in the AFC; Mahomes, Burrow, Herbert, Lamar, Allen, Football Jesus, and you can go on.

We'll see if Lamar is still in the AFC when the dust settles.

He didn't bother traveling with the Ravens to their playoff game, didn't feel the need to be on the sidelines supporting Huntley.

This has added to the already growing belief that he's done in Baltimore. There's a sense that they like Huntley enough to at least let him be a bridge starter while they take a stack of draft picks and cap room to build up a team and chase another long-term QB.

*Legion* wrote:

There's a sense that they like Huntley enough to at least let him be a bridge starter while they take a stack of draft picks and cap room to build up a team and chase another long-term QB.

My 2023 dynasty superflex position is happy to hear this.

*Legion* wrote:
*Legion* wrote:

I don't think our boy Byron will be doing much head coach interviewing this year.

Turns out he will be doing plenty of QB coach interviewing though, as the Bucs just fired him.

Nothing official has been reported yet; it's not on NFL.com, PFT, or being reported by any of the Bucs beat writers. It would be shocking if he wasn't fired at this point, but . . .

It's looking like another BLACK MONDAY* is brewing:

Chargers OC Joe Lombardi: FIRED
Chargers QB coach Shane Day: FIRED
Bucs OC Byron Leftwich: MAYBE FIRED?

* Yes I know it's Tuesday but it feels like Monday after the holiday

So the Chargers are going the Commanders way and placing the blame on coordinators instead of where it really lies with the HC?

I would shiv Marshall's head coach right now if we could get BL back in the house.

Enix wrote:

Chargers OC Joe Lombardi: FIRED
Chargers QB coach Shane Day: FIRED

Which one of them let Trevor Lawrence turn into Brock Purdy?

Rat Boy wrote:
Enix wrote:

Chargers OC Joe Lombardi: FIRED
Chargers QB coach Shane Day: FIRED

Which one of them let Trevor Lawrence turn into Brock Purdy?

Neither, but they both turn Justin Herbert into Alex Smith.

Paleocon wrote:
TheGameguru wrote:

Ok it’s very weird that 3 of the 4 remaining playoff teams in the NFC are from one division.

and a division generally known for bad football.

Up to this year, yes it has been the last years but further back, this was a tough division for a long time.

TheGameguru wrote:

Ok it’s very weird that 3 of the 4 remaining playoff teams in the NFC are from one division.

And the fun part is none of them will make the super bowl.

whispa wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
TheGameguru wrote:

Ok it’s very weird that 3 of the 4 remaining playoff teams in the NFC are from one division.

and a division generally known for bad football.

Up to this year, yes it has been the last years but further back, this was a tough division for a long time.

The salary cap has been very unkind to the NFC East.

ukickmydog wrote:

So the Chargers are going the Commanders way and placing the blame on coordinators instead of where it really lies with the HC?

The Spanos family loves Brandon Staley. He's the cheapest head coach they could find.

Paleocon wrote:
whispa wrote:
Paleocon wrote:
TheGameguru wrote:

Ok it’s very weird that 3 of the 4 remaining playoff teams in the NFC are from one division.

and a division generally known for bad football.

Up to this year, yes it has been the last years but further back, this was a tough division for a long time.

The salary cap has been very unkind to the NFC East.

Big time, and being a Giants fan, I know all too well. Reese and Gettleman will do that to an organization.

New Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort: "Ego will not be tolerated in this organization. [We want] people that are willing to put the team first every step of the way."

Gee, I wonder who on the Arizona Cardinals payroll might prompt a new GM to feel the need to state such a thing at their introductory press conference. That sure was pointed for what's usually a "this is a great organization, we have great players, we're gonna build on the foundation we have here" platitude session.

Also, it's going to be a while before I can read the name "Monti Ossenfort" without seeing "Montessori".

His name sounds like something you exclaim when you've given up on the seeking part in Hide & Seek.

"Ollie Ollie Ossenfort!"

*Legion* in the Week 18 thread wrote:

The real gift that the Niners have been riding high on are the compensatory draft picks for minority coaches and executives being hired away for head coach/GM jobs. They've gotten 5 extra 3rd round picks out of this so far, and with DeMeco Ryans a hot candidate this offseason, they might push that number up to 7.

The Titans have just hired 49ers director of player personnel Ran Carthon to be their new GM.

Carthon is black, so, two more 3rd round compensatory picks coming to the 49ers.

The 49ers will now have 3 third-round picks in this upcoming draft, all compensatory.

The "downside" to this is, if DeMeco Ryans gets hired away to a head coach spot this offseason, the Niners will only get one compensatory pick for him, and it will be 3 years from now. Lose one guy, get picks in the next 2 drafts. Lose 2 guys, get picks in the next 3 drafts.

Bumping the Divisional Round post to update betting lines and announcer pairings:

Saturday
Jags at Chiefs, 4:30 p.m.
TV: NBC (Tirico/Collinsworth)
Line (via CBS Sports): Chiefs -8.5 (ooof), Over/Under 52

Giants at Eagles, 8:15 p.m.
TV: Fox (Joe Davis/Daryl Johnston)
Line: Eagles -7.5, O/U 47.5

Sunday
Bengals at Bills, 3 p.m.
TV: CBS (Nantz, Romo)
Line: Bills -5, O/U 50

Cowboys at Niners, 6:30 p.m.
TV: Fox (Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen)
Line: Niners -3.5, O/U 46[/quote]

And let's review the pre-playoff tiers from the OP:

The favorites: Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, Niners, Eagles

All still alive, thanks largely to two of the teams having byes last week. Bills-Bengals play Sunday, so we'll lose at least one. Bills might be odd team out here. I have a hard time betting against the Chiefs, Niners or Eagles.

Watch out for: Cowboys

They beat the hell out of the Bucs. There's always one good no-one-saw-it-coming story (Bengals last year, Bucs in 2020, etc.). Why not Dallas this year? Or (gulp) the Giants?

Maximum chaos: Jags

Still true this week. They're the biggest dog on the schedule.

However, Trevor Lawrence is 37-0 all time in games he has started on Saturday. That's plenty chaotic. 38-0 would be bonkers.

Overachievers: Giants and Seahawks

The Giants overachieved into the Divisional Round. The Seahawks overachieved into a mid-round draft pick. Congrats to the Seahawks for a really good season. Absolutely no one saw this coming.

Inscrutable: Vikings

Haha.

Underachievers: Chargers

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Unwatchables: Ravens and Dolphins

Don't have to watch either of those teams till next season!

Please go away: Buccaneers

Gone!