Championship Round Thoughts


I think we all had this match up at the beginning of the season, right?

Well, that happened. My streak of perfect playoff predictions ended on Sunday. I thought the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers would play in the Super Bowl. Instead, it's the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots.

We probably should have all seen the Patriots thing coming. The top seed in the AFC has advanced to the title game most of the time in recent years, and between the flu, being behind and the fire alarm, the Steelers were at a serious disadvantage.

The other game is a head-scratcher. That Atlanta could win wasn't a surprise. That they'd destroy the hottest team in football, well that was. And this was yet another playoff weekend with lousy games. In 10 games in the Post Season, we have had only two really good, competitive games. That's a bad sign.

But we could be in for a good one in the Super Bowl. Hope springs eternal. And if not, there's always the prospect of the NFL sweating out a Lady Gaga half time show. Boom!

Here's some other thoughts:

* Most people, myself included, have under rated the Falcons. The Falcons had a quietly strong season. They went 11-5 and slipped into the two seed. The thing is, no one thought they were going to the Super Bowl. I certainly didn't. But the 53 players in that locker room did, and they played like it on Sunday.

* Le'Veon Bell is the most important player on the Steelers. There were a few reasons they lost Sunday, but none bigger than Bell going out early with an injury. He is a game-changing player, and the Steelers looked pedestrian with DeAngelo Williams in the lineup.

* The Patriots are favored and should be. Experience counts. Before this season, Matt Ryan had won just one playoff game. Tom Brady has won 100, I think. Just a rough estimate. And, of course, Brady has won the Super Bowl four previous times. Atlanta has its work cut out for it.

* That Matt Ryan MVP talk should have been real. Ryan accounted for five touchdowns in the NFC Championship. FIVE! That's a herculean effort. He is for real.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more