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Sunday Games
Kansas City 22, Cleveland 17
The Chiefs showed that the old way of thinking, that experience matters in the postseason games, does indeed matter. The Chiefs seemed to have the game well in hand, as they built a 19-3 lead by halftime. But they just hung on to win towards the end, as the Browns rallied with two touchdowns in the second half to get within striking distance.
Cleveland is a young and rising team, and we will likely see them making playoff runs in the near future. They lost this one in large part due to inexperience, and the pressure of being in an unfamiliar big game. Plus, they may have been on the wrong side of another controversial call, as Rashard Higgins fumbled the ball near the goal line for a touchback after Kansas City's Daniel Sorensen had managed to pop the ball out of the grasp of Higgins. KC went on to score a field goal just before the half, for a comfortable 19-3 lead. But given how close the game would end up being, some are already adding it to the rather extensive list of bizarre plays that seem to haunt the Cleveland franchise.
Overall, the Chiefs held on to the ball slightly longer than the Browns, and produced 24 first downs to 21 for Cleveland. But the Chiefs enjoyed a decisive advantage in terms of yards earned, as they produced 438 total yards of offense, to just 308 for the Browns. Also, Cleveland committed two turnovers, to just one for the Chiefs.
Kansas City quarterback suffered an apparent concussion during the game, and there are fears about his health, and questions about whether he will be okay for next week’s game. But prior to him leaving the game, he had completed 21 of 30 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown. His favorite target was the quick Tyreek Hill, who caught eight passes for 110 yards. Running back Darrel Williams added 78 yards on 13 carries. On the losing side, Baker Mayfield completed 23 of 37 passes for 204 yards, with one TD and one INT. Rashard Higgins, who had that controversial fumble, led all Cleveland receivers with five receptions for 88 yards. Running back Nick Chubb pounded out 69 yards on 13 carries.
With the win, Kansas City advances to their third straight AFC Championship Game, which they will host at Arrowhead Stadium. They will now await the Buffalo Bills, who are making their first AFC title game appearance in a quarter of a century. It will be a battle of the two best teams in the AFC this season, although it appeared that the Steelers were one of the top two teams in the conference, until a late season collapse proved otherwise. The status of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who won the NFL MVP award in 2018 and then earned Super Bowl MVP honors last year, remains uncertain. We all wish him a speedy recovery and good health.
My pick: Accurate
Tampa Bay 30, New Orleans 20
Tom Brady has done it again! His new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, won a tough game last week in Washington, but they were supposed to win that one.
This one, on the other hand, was supposed to have favored the Saints, who were the home team, the second seed, and the team desperately trying to cash in on the window of opportunity for another Super Bowl title while quarterback Drew Brees is still playing.
So, Brady wins the big postseason quarterback clash between him and Brees, and now heads up to Foxboro for another huge quarterback showdown, this one with Aaron Rodgers. It should be interesting to see what happens in that one, but a preview post will come soon enough in some future post.
For now, let us just marvel at this latest accomplishment by Brady, who is 43 years old. He is less than three years younger than me, but still playing at such a high level of play, that it really is quite incredible. Seriously, this guy is on a whole new team, and he still finds ways to win. This will be his 14th Championship Game appearance, but his first time appearing in an NFC Championship Game. His record in those games, heading into this one, is 9-4. He earned this rather astonishing 14th appearance at a Championship Game appearance by obtaining his 32nd career postseason win, which is obviously also a record. That is literally double the guy who is in second place for the most postseason wins, as Joe Montana ranks second most all-time with 16 playoff wins. Just ridiculous.
So, how did he manage?
Well, obviously football is a team game, so he did not do it alone. He had an offensive line in front of him, runners behind him, and receivers on both sides who worked hard for him. But Brady’s efforts were impressive, as he completed 18 of 33 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran one in for a touchdown from a yard out late in the fourth that effectively put the game out of reach for the Saints, and basically iced the game for the Bucs. Not a record shattering day, not a day filled with breathtaking highlights, but one that clearly helped his team win a tough game. Brady is experienced enough to know that he does not need to shatter records. At this stage it is all about winning, and no one in the history of the game has ever done it better. Cameron Brate was his favorite target in this game, hauling in four receptions for 50 yards. He also got decent support from running back Leonard Fournette, who added 63 yards on 17 carries.
The two teams were as close to identical in most statistics, save for one very, very big one that turned out to be a deciding factor. The teams were fairly evenly split in terms of time of possession, and dead even with 20 first downs each. The Buccaneers earned slightly more yards, at 316 to 294. But the big difference that proved to be glaringly obvious and likely decisive in the outcome was in turnovers. Tampa Bay did not turn the ball over even once, while the Saints had four turnovers.
Drew Brees was responsible for most of them, as he was picked off three times. Overall, Brees completed 19 of 34 passes for 134 yards and one touchdown. But those picks were telling, and very costly. His favorite receivers proved to be Tre’Quon Smith, who grabbed three catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara was able to pound out 85 yards on 18 carries.
The two teams were tied, 13-13, at halftime. The Saints managed to start the second half with an impressive 10 play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown, and ate up well over five minutes of the clock. For a while, it seemed that they might hold onto that lead, but it was all Tampa from the late third quarter one, as the Bucs scored a tying touchdown late in that quarter, and then added to it in the final quarter, all while shutting down New Orleans the rest of the way.
Questions will now swirl regarding the future of the Saints, and Drew Brees, in particular. Will he retire? He might. It is really difficult to know. In fact, it seems doubtful that he himself knows right now, although he may be leaning in one direction or another. Come what may, he has won the Super Bowl once already, so it would not be a tragedy if he never gets there again. Still, these losses in the playoffs have to be wearing on him. The Saints lost a divisional game at Minnesota in a stunning manner three years ago, losing on the final play, a dramatic, game-ending touchdown. Then, they got cheated a couple of years ago against the Rams, and it cost them a Super Bowl appearance, which they may or may not have won. Then, there was the shocking loss to the Vikings last season. Now this. At some point, they either have to make it happen once and for all, or Brees will likely just walk away. My suspicion is that they might have one run left in them, but that might be about it, before the window closes. And that is assuming that Brees comes back. Otherwise, they will have to start making adjustments.
As for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, what an impressive season! They picked up some major talent, and became a team of intrigue. Still, no one was quite sure what to make of them. Would they rank among the elites, or would they falter? This postseason has shown that, in fact, they are very real, and quite dangerous at this point in time. Brady seems to be on a mission to prove that he can win without Belichick and the Patriots, and he seems to be making a solid case proving exactly that!
My pick: Inaccurate
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