Well, we have finally made it. This weekend boasts the last day where multiple National Football League games will be played until September. Take it all in this weekend people, it’s almost gone.
As for last weekend, boy did it deliver.
Three of the games were absolutely awesome, and while the Ravens showed their class in the second half against the Texans, the two sides were tied 10-10 after an awesome first half, bringing our total to 3.5/4 awesome games. That’s a pretty good hit rate.
I’ve said many times that the divisional round is my favorite football weekend of the year, which must be the exact opposite of how Josh Allen feels.
There’s been a lot of discourse about Josh over the past few days. Many are applauding him for playing a fantastic game in a loss to the Chiefs, others are saying that it doesn’t matter because he lost. ESPN’s Ryan Clark put it best, saying we make a lot of excuses for Josh Allen, but when it comes to a player like Lamar Jackson, we tell him to figure it out. There’s a lot of truth to that statement.
My opinion on the matter is this: Josh Allen is an amazing quarterback. Probably top 5 in the world. Patrick Mahomes is better. A lot better. That is really all it boils down to.
The comparison has been made 100 times, but I’ll make it 101. We remember when Tom Brady and Peyton Manning squared off in the playoffs what felt like every year. Like clockwork, Tom and the Patriots won almost every year. The narrative started to change on Peyton. Could he win the big game? Can he get past Brady? Eventually, he did, but when the dust settled on both men’s careers, Tom won seven titles and Peyton won two. One is the undisputed greatest of all time, while one is an all-time great in his own right. Nothing shabby about either.
It kind of feels like this is heading in the same direction.
Maybe Allen will get past Mahomes in the playoffs one day. It will be the greatest day of his life when it happens. But Pat is already sitting on two Super Bowls and two MVPs. Maybe Josh will get one of each some day, but history tells us that the best guy usually finds a way to wind up on top, or at least near it.
I don’t know if Mahomes will ever reach Brady’s record of seven titles, but he’s certainly on pace to. What I do know is that when push comes to shove, the better quarterback is the one that gets it done. I love Josh Allen. I was rooting for him as hard as I could on Sunday night. But when Tyler Bass missed that kick and reality sunk in, I felt bad for him. Not because I felt he deserved to win the game, but because he’s just another example of a fantastic player being continuously overshadowed by an all-time great. History will remember the rocket arm of the man under center in Buffalo, but they’ll remember the legend of the ketchup-loving, Kermit-sounding, league-destroying #15 in Kansas City for a whole lot longer.
On a side note regarding this whole comparison, I rooted heavily against Brady during the first few years of the dynasty, but eventually turned over to the dark side because I couldn’t help but respect the greatness I was seeing in real time. Will that ever happen to me with Mahomes? We shall have to wait and see, but I can tell you it's not happening this year. I mentioned last week that my brother Jeremy is a massive Ravens fan. On Monday, I bought him a pair of purple camo pants to wear for the AFC Championship. We need the vibes on our side to take down the Chiefs and the Swifties.
That’s a good segue into our quick hitters:
Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday, and while the best movies and best performances aren’t always rewarded, two of my favorite films from this year had a lot to be proud of. Oppenheimer led the way with 13 nominations, and would have tied the record of 14 if the sound categories hadn’t been combined recently. Perhaps more impressive, Godzilla: Minus One earned a nomination for visual effects, becoming the first Godzilla movie ever to be nominated for an Academy Award. Much deserved.
I watched an anime series on Netflix this week titled Blue Eye Samurai. Anime is not usually my thing, but this was so good. Taking place in the Sakoku era of Japan, it tells the story of a Samurai named Mizu as they seek revenge on those who wronged them as a child. The action in it is John Wick-esque and the story it tells is beautiful. I recommend it if it sounds interesting to you.
I had a good divisional round against the spread, going 3-1 and I probably would have gone perfect if I listened to my gut telling me that the Packers were going to find a way to keep this one close, and even that is an understatement. Truthfully, before the Niners came back to win that game, I was imagining Jordan Love and the cheeseheads getting ready to go to the Super Bowl and I was ready to just cancel the whole playoffs. Luckily, the crisis has been averted. Only two games this week, let’s win ‘em both.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens (-3.5)
Believe it or not, despite appearing in four straight conference title games a decade ago, this will be the first time in team history that the Baltimore Ravens will be hosting the AFC Championship game. This is certainly a deserving team to do so. You’ve got Lamar Jackson leading the offense and on his way to his second MVP award. You have the best defense in the NFL, a nasty, physical group that will punch you in the mouth at every level and then laugh in your face about it. Leading the way you have John Harbaugh, one of the best NFL coaches of my lifetime. Not only does this Ravens team have the personnel to get the job done, they have proven it time and time again, routinely beating the top teams in the league when facing them. Not just beating them either, crushing them by multiple touchdowns every single time. Simply put, this is a team built for big games.
The same can be said about the guys on the other side. I’ve spoken about Patrick Mahomes already in this column, comparing him to the greatest quarterback of all time and even stating he has the chance to hold that title for himself. The Chiefs look to have righted the ship in a huge way, with receivers finally starting to figure it out, Travis Kelce looking like himself again and of course, boasting a very good defense of their own. This is the sixth straight year Mahomes and company will be playing for the right to go to the Super Bowl, which is every year he’s been a starter. Mind boggling. This however, will be the first time the game will not be at Arrowhead.
I’m thinking that will make a difference, as the Baltimore crowd came up in a big way last week, forcing the Texans to commit seven presnap penalties. Last week, I made the point of saying I will never bet against Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs, citing seeing his greatness too much to go with anyone else. In this case, the guy on the other side is working on some greatness of his own. Lamar Jackson has been incredible this year and is still working on changing the narrative that he can’t win big games. This is the biggest game of his life and a perfect opportunity to prove it. Both of these offenses are operating at such a high level right now, but there’s something special about that Raven defense. Give me the purple and black to make the trip to Las Vegas. (#15 will make me regret this.)
The Pick: Ravens -3.5
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers (-7)
The Detroit Lions, against all odds, are a game away from the Super Bowl. The team they’ve put out this year is certainly deserving of the honor. Jared Goff is having the best season of his career and he has a ton of weapons to get the ball to, whether it's top-five receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown or top-five tight end Sam LaPorta. The run game is equally as effective, with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs serving as perhaps the best two-headed monster in the league. The defense has been questionable at times, but players like Aiden Hutchenson and Brian Branch have led a unit that makes the big plays when it needs to. At the helm is Dan Campbell, a man’s man who loves going for it on fourth down. My kind of guy. Despite Detroit being division rivals to my Bears, I can’t help but root for them here.
They’ve got a tall task in front of them as the Niners have spent a majority of the season at the top of the NFC. Brock Purdy struggled mightily for most of the team’s divisional win against the Packers, but stepped up when it mattered most when leading the final drive. The offense needs no introduction. Players like Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle are near or at the top of their respective positions, all while receiving protection from Trent Williams, the best offensive lineman in the world. Deebo Samuel hurt his shoulder last week and is questionable. The defense has studs like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner headlining it, but has shown to struggle against the run in the game’s they’ve struggled in.
The blueprint to taking down the Niners has been shown, though it is hard to execute. You need to take care of the ball, move it efficiently while burning clock and perhaps most importantly of all, you need to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns. It’s easier said than done, but Detroit has the personnel to make this happen. Campbell’s love of going for it on fourth down is going to make or break this game. There’s no doubt that the Lions will be playing with house money and will be willing to take chances, but if San Fran is able to thwart them, it’s going to be a long night. Right now, I’m leaning towards the Niners winning this game to advance to the Super Bowl, but it’s going to be a close one.
The Pick: Lions +7
Again, this is the last NFL day for months with multiple games on the schedule. Enjoy every moment you can, that wait is going to be brutal. Hopefully some of the best athletes in the world are able to give us some fireworks.
Cheers.
Last Week’s Record: 3-1
Season Record: 147-127-8