The field is set. Let's do this!
WILD CARD ROUND
Saturday
Chargers at Texans, 430p (CBS)
Steelers at Ravens, 8p (Prime)
Sunday
Broncos at Bills, 1p (CBS)
Packers at Eagles, 430p (Fox)
Commanders at Buccaneers, 8p (NBC)
Monday
Vikings at Rams, 8p (ABC / ESPN)
Byes: Chiefs, Lions
DIVISIONAL ROUND
Jan. 18-19 (four games)
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Jan. 26 (two games)
SUPER BOWL LIX (pronounced "licks")
Feb. 9 in New Orleans (on Fox)
Who will win
The Chiefs. Three straight SB wins is unprecedented, but the Chiefs are inevitable, like the tides or the sunrise.
Who should win (people's choice)
The Lions, who give hope to fans of every crap franchise in the league.
Who should win (historical reasons)
Bills and Vikings, who are both 0-4 lifetime in the Superb Owl. A Bills-Vikings SB would be vindication for one franchise and an eternal curse for the other
Contenders (in no particular order)
Chiefs, Ravens, Bills, Lions, Vikings, Eagles
Chaos agents
Chargers, Broncos, Packers*, Commandos, Bucs, Rams (teams that could get frisky and pull off an upset or two; it's a generous definition)
Pretenders
Texans (ugh), Steelers (because they're slumping)
* Packers fall into the Pretender zone if Love doesn't play.
ONE NOTE FROM WEEK 18
If you haven't seen the clip of BY9's stone-cold TD celebration, you owe yourself to take a look.
Here's a guy who was considered washed up (by me and lots of others) after two games this season. On Sunday, dude threw for three TDs, ran for two more and led the Panthers to an OT win on the road. In his second season, he has progressed from Terribad to Not Bad to Actually Good. It's honestly remarkable.
The best/worst part of the video isn't BY9 doing his best Steph Curry imitation. It's that TE Tommy Tremble almost dropped the damn ball. It's evidence that Carolnia has a long way to go before they break through their Rhule-era ceiling of 5 wins.
BLACK MONDAY
Y'all enjoy. After two back-to-back years on the coaching carousel, I'm glad to be off it this year, even if I think the Panthers HC is a dolt. Meanwhile, here's a quick look:
Jets HC Robert Salah: FIRED MONTHS AGO!
Saints HC Dennis Allen: FIRED AFTER HALLOWEEN!
Bears HC Matt Eberflus: FIRED AFTER THANKSGIVING!
Patriots HC Jerod Mayo: FIRED SUNDAY!
Jags HC Doug Pederson: FIRED!
Bengals DC Lou Anarumo: FIRED!
Giants HC Brian Daboll: Not fired!
Colts HC Shane Steichen: Not fired!
Edit: Someone posted a screen grab of BY9's Steph Curry moment. It's art!
Forgot Browns OC Ken Dorsey was FIRED!
Trent Baalke is somehow very good at the "keeping your job" part of being a GM while being terrible at everything else related to being a GM. In a sick way, it's kind of admirable if you don't follow the teams he's ruining. So, uh, sorry 'bout that, Legion.
Shocked the Giants kept Daboll; there were a few games late season where it looked like the Giants had completely given up, and figured he was a dead man walking.
Forgot Browns OC Ken Dorsey was FIRED!
Whoops! But it's easy to forget that the Browns even had an OC. I mean, there's really no need when you're trotting out DTR and Bailey Zappe.
Ben Johnson apparently interviewing with the Patriots and Bears. One of those makes sense, and the other one is the Bears. Why would he want to dip his toes into a team where ownership continually makes bad decisions?
Here's a guy who was considered washed up (by me and lots of others) after two games this season. On Sunday, dude threw for three TDs, ran for two more and led the Panthers to an OT win on the road. In his second season, he has progressed from Terribad to Not Bad to Actually Good. It's honestly remarkable.
This is the talk I want to see from Carolina fan. This is the type of talk that has teams keeping a mediocre QB and giving them a big contract they can't get out of just because he has a good outing here or there at the end of a season or in garbage time. 
Here's a guy who was considered washed up (by me and lots of others) after two games this season. On Sunday, dude threw for three TDs, ran for two more and led the Panthers to an OT win on the road. In his second season, he has progressed from Terribad to Not Bad to Actually Good. It's honestly remarkable.This is the talk I want to see from Carolina fan. This is the type of talk that has teams keeping a mediocre QB and giving them a big contract they can't get out of just because he has a good outing here or there at the end of a season or in garbage time. :)
That's a more or less fair critique. When The Athletic puts out its QB tiers next fall, I expect Young to be in Tier 3 (legit starter who needs help). Robert Hunt (and the O-line) and Chuba Hubbard unlocked a lot of Young's renaissance this season. It'll be interesting to see how other teams play him next year now that there's a year's worth of tape of him resembling a starting NFL QB.
Meanwhile, the Panthers just announced they're keeping their DC who coordinated a defense that allowed more points than any team at any time in NFL history. That's just silly.
Trent Baalke is somehow very good at the "keeping your job" part of being a GM while being terrible at everything else related to being a GM.
In a sick way, it's kind of admirable if you don't follow the teams he's ruining. So, uh, sorry 'bout that, Legion.
This was a nightmare of a football season. San Francisco was down to about the 19ers there at the end. And I didn't even get a full day of "at least it's over" before the Jaguars went and F&%KED UP 2025 ALREADY.
Forgot Browns OC Ken Dorsey was FIRED!
Are we posting in Ian Eagle now?
Of course it will be KC for a 3rd Straight SB.. its always Mahomes... And you just know this time at the end during the presentation of the SB trophy Travis will propose to Taylor on the stage on the field... to massive ratings.
So.... we're keeping both of them.
.......okay.
Seahawks fire OC Ryan Grubb.
I have mixed feelings, but overall I'm fine with going another direction. My biggest beef with Grubb is that he kept rolling out an offense predicated on a strong offensive line weeks after it was clear that was not going to be the case this year, and he was more of a risk taker in the red zone than I was comfortable with.
When the offensive line was functional the offense looked great - otherwise we got games with multiple safeties and scores like 6-3.
I suspect that if Grubb were on a team with a strong offensive line - like Detroit - he'd excel and probably be looked at similar to Ben Johnson. He probably would be a good fit there if Johnson moves on this season.
As a sidenote, I don't think I've been as wrong about anyone as I have been about Dan Campbell. I may hae to eat all the crows in the region.
As a sidenote, I don't think I've been as wrong about anyone as I have been about Dan Campbell. I may hae to eat all the crows in the region.
I may feel the same way about Quinn but am reserving judgment
Go Ravens.
Also Bryce TD look away was just copying what Lamar did Saturday. And earlier this season as well.
But yeah saw a bunch of people comparing BY to Steph Curry yesterday. WTF.
Go Ravens.
Also Bryce TD look away was just copying what Lamar did Saturday. And earlier this season as well.
But yeah saw a bunch of people comparing BY to Steph Curry yesterday. WTF.
Yeah. He did it on that play where he sent Danielle Hunter to the sunken place
Saints "coach" Darren Rizzi apparently called a play to double-cover Mike Evans on that last play, knowing where the ball was going, and his players ignored him and pretty clearly let the catch happen. That's kind of hilarious after what happened with Jameis waving off the victory kneel and getting Jamaal Williams that TD last year.
The Chicago Bears have apparently asked the Cowboys to interview Mike McCarthy.
It's really just win win for Packers fans. This could result in the Cowboys keeping McCarthy and we all win. Or McCarthy might become coach of the Bears.
^^^
lol
Carrying on from the previous thread, I had no idea that the struggling Bengals were being led by a QB having a career year, while the dominating Chiefs were being led by a (statistically) mediocre performer. I don’t know anything.
I mean at first I was, like, “I want Justin Fields in there. Russell had his chances.” Then I changed up yo “Russ is gonna do the job!” And now I’m, like, “There has to be a statistic about own-sacks by QBs and I bet Russ is up there.”
This weekend I’ll probably exist in a multiverse of delusion until the inevitable end of the Steelers’ season.
Carrying on from the previous thread, I had no idea that the struggling Bengals were being led by a QB having a career year, while the dominating Chiefs were being led by a (statistically) mediocre performer. I don’t know anything.
I mean at first I was, like, “I want Justin Fields in there. Russell had his chances.” Then I changed up yo “Russ is gonna do the job!” And now I’m, like, “There has to be a statistic about own-sacks by QBs and I bet Russ is up there.”
This weekend I’ll probably exist in a multiverse of delusion until the inevitable end of the Steelers’ season.
If we could merge both into one QB.... Ya that still wouldn't work.
I mean at first I was, like, “I want Justin Fields in there. Russell had his chances.” Then I changed up yo “Russ is gonna do the job!” And now I’m, like, “There has to be a statistic about own-sacks by QBs and I bet Russ is up there.”
Imagine being a Seahawks fan during an all-time defensive era. Sigh.
That said, I've started pulling for him again this year. I hope he wins some playoff games for Tomlin!
muraii wrote:I mean at first I was, like, “I want Justin Fields in there. Russell had his chances.” Then I changed up yo “Russ is gonna do the job!” And now I’m, like, “There has to be a statistic about own-sacks by QBs and I bet Russ is up there.”
Imagine being a Seahawks fan during an all-time defensive era. Sigh.
That said, I've started pulling for him again this year. I hope he wins some playoff games for Tomlin!
Yeah I’m being mostly facetious. I hope nothing but the best for him, like that the O-line will give him a chance against the pass rush.
The Titans are keeping coach Brian Callahan (for the moment), but GM Ran Carthon has been fired.
Come back to the Niners personnel department, Ran.
Come back to the Niners personnel department, Ran.
How about Saleh?
Or.... He can be the Jaguars coach! Schefter just said he will interview with them.
*Legion* wrote:Come back to the Niners personnel department, Ran.
How about Saleh?
Would welcome him back as DC.
Or.... He can be the Jaguars coach! Schefter just said he will interview with them.
I legitimately don't know who will debase themselves enough to be Trent Baalke's 6th head coach.
Bucs fans are freaking out because the Jags have requested an interview with Liam Coen, and I don't think there's a chance in hell he'd take that job; he's a hot prospect right now, and the Bucs are pretty much bringing back the same offense next year and I'd expect him to be an even hotter prospect in the future. I don't think he's going to wind up in a bad organization like the Jags, Bears, or Saints, he can pull a Ben Johnson and wait.
Of course, lots of Bucs fans just don't understand why the Bucs don't fire Todd Bowles and promote Coen; I mean, it's not like the Bucs have won three straight division titles with a depleted roster thanks to clearing up the Brady years cap hits, and he's incredibly well-liked as a coach by all the players who play their ass off for him, and firing him would be idiotic. Random hope is Bowles will want to retire in a year or two, and Coen can be anointed coach-in-waiting.
And that's curtains' on Antonio Pierce. Season and a half seems awful short, but I didn't think he was gonna be it.
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