If a Game Looks Like a Blowout...

Ok sports fans, hypothetical situation test. Your sitting in front of your TV watching your second NFL Playoff game of the day. It’s about 10 pm. Before the playoff games you watched not one but TWO Primiere League Soccer matches so you’re basically into your 10th hour of sporting events you’ve had a few beers and just killed a steak dinner. Your team is down 27 to zip and your QB has just thrown his third interception of the first half. Do you decide that tomorrow is another day and go to bed? Yes or no ?

We’ll, if you picked “yes” like my self you missed your team’s greatest comeback yet, maybe it’s greatest comeback ever. Thats right folks, while I was snug as a bug and snoozing away The Jacksonville Jaguars mounted one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history beating The San Diego Chargers 31-30 on the last play of the game, a field goal after being down 27-0 at half time. That’s right, I’ll admit it, I missed it. I’m sure it was epic and yes I’m sure we’re gonna hear about it all week but that’s playoff football right? Next time I’ll pick “no”.

Playoff football always seems to bring out the best and the worst in a team. Basically your season comes down to one game. It’s win or go home. Your record, the injuries, the on the field and off the field drama, the stats, the QB ratings, none of that matters anymore. The only stat that matters is the score of the game at 00:00. Trevor Lawrence threw 4 interceptions in the first half. If the Jags had lost his career might have been in jeopardy. The media and fans would have crucified him, perhaps literally. But in the end the Jaguars won. Trevor is now a hero to millions and we all get to see another Bosa brother sitting on the bench crying over a loss. Like someone once said, “Just win Baby”.

The Brock Purdy San Francisco Love Fest is now in full swing. When Labrone James tweets about your play as he did this past Saturday you know you’ve officially arrived. Although I don’t think a Presidential Medal of Freedom is yet forthcoming I do have to grudgingly admit that the kid is slinging some pretty good balls. The 49ers made short work of The Seattle Seahawks 41-23 with Mr. Irrelevant tossing about a million touchdowns along the way. Actually I think he threw 4 but at this point it doesn’t matter. He’s now become the poster boy for an end of season feel good story after starting 2022 virtually unknown and riding the bench. A true Mr. Irrelevant. More power to him.

The AFC had few if any feel good stories. As expected and predicted by many the Dolphins fell to the Buffalo Bills in a cold crisp day in Orchid Park. I’m not an old man by any means, but I’m old enough to remember the Bills going to four Super Bowls and loosing every one of them. Due to this rather bleak history I’m not a Bills Believer yet. We’ll wait and see as usual. Josh Allen may be a great player but beating a beaten and banged up Miami team by just three points 34-31 does not make me a believer. Buffalo was anything but dominating and they’re gonna have their hands full when they face Cincinnati.

I’m not sure what is going on with The Baltimore Ravens. Their loss to The Bengals on Sunday night was pretty much a manifestation of their season which was a disappointment at best. Lamar Jackson is a no show that remains a major question mark. Where will he reappear? Some say in a different uniform then a Raven. I’d have to agree as he seems to be unwilling or unable to continue in Baltimore. I’ll take a “wait and see” with this situation.

Monday night football has always been good to Tom Brady. As a matter of fact I believe he was undefeated against The Cowboys as well so it was a good looking pick to take The Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Dallas in this weekend’s version of a “Super Wild Card Game”. I thought maybe this game would be the upset I predicted but it was not to be. There were no late game heroics by Tom Terrific who in spite of loosing threw the ball 66 times going for 35 for 66, 351 yards and 2 touchdowns. I wonder if Brock Purdy will be putting up numbers like that when he’s 45, or even 35. Amazing. Dak Prescott and The Cowboys did not give us the usual melt down in a clutch playoff game. Shocker. My weekend of picking 100% winners was ruined as the Cowboys dispatched The Bucs in what some would describe as a blow out.

Playoff football never seems to fail the viewers. A lot of it you had to see to believe. We saw a historic comeback via Jacksonville. We again witnessed history Monday night as the kicker for The Dallas Cowboys missed 4 consecutive extra point attempts( not seen since 1932). For those of us who stayed up late into Monday night we may have watched the sun set on Tom Brady’s career. Many of us who watched the Giants game found out that Néw York is a different football team with a healthy running game. Although Kansas City and Philadelphia both sat out the weekend with a bye, no one can deny that they are watching and waiting like two big tigers waiting to pounce on Jacksonville and The Giants.

The stage is now set. The seriousness of the divisional matchups is upon us. Will there be upsets? I would have to say yes. Will Mr. Irrelevant continue to be Relevant? Hard to say. There are many stories yet to be written, history to be made. If this past weekend is any indication I would have to say that the games have just begun. On to next week!

Kev