I’m not crying, you’re crying! Well, there were several predictions that were wrong this weekend, but that’s what makes the NFL great. Time for a breakdown.
NFC
Rams 30 Cowboys 22
I don’t know if you following boxing, but this match mirrored the recent Canelo-GGG fight. Before the fight, people said Canelo just dodged and ran. They said he couldn’t come right at GGG and beat him. As it turned out, Canelo came straight at GGG and beat him up for the win. The exact same thing happened in this game. All week people said the Rams weren’t as tough as the Cowboys (and seriously underestimated that talented O-line). Quick sidebar – 16 years ago, the committee (of one) faced Rams center John Sullivan in a high school game and Sullivan mopped the floor with a 6’3 300LB nose tackle then. That was a humbling experience at that point in the education from John Sullivan. Back to the game, the Rams offense ran the ball straight down Cowboys throat all game to the tune of 273 yds and 3 TD’s. Wow. If you told me those would be Jared Goff’s numbers at the end of the game, that would have been more believable. The better team with the better coaching won. Props to the Rams, as the Cowboys head to the Pro Bowl and the offseason.
Saints 20 Eagles 14
Well, all “good” things must come to an end, and it looks like Nick Foles time in Philly is done. His run ended when Alshon Jeffrey dropped that pass. That being said, Eagles fans should be proud of their run and that they went out swinging. The Saints dogged a bullet in this game. If you told someone that the Saints would only score 20 points in a game, you wouldn’t feel too confident that the Saints won. The Saints were positive in the turnover margin (thanks to Drew Brees not losing both of his fumbles), which was the difference in the game. You can’t give talented teams like the Saints the ball more often than they are supposed to get it. Still, the Saints need to clean up their game plan to have a realistic shot against a loaded Rams squad.
AFC
Chiefs 31 Colts 13
Was something wrong with Andrew Luck’s arm or was it just me? A lot of his passes seemed to die off mid throw, and something just didn’t seem right. Patrick Maholmes looked like the MVP that he may be with throws all over the field. The Chiefs had more talent, and it showed. Kelce was near unstoppable on that field. The dome team looked affected by the snow, and the outdoor team looked like it was unaffected by the snow. The Colts are building a contender, but they’re still a year or two off. The talent level is subpar to the elite teams in the AFC. The Chiefs get to host the AFC championship against the Patriots in sub-zero temperatures this week. If Eric Berry is back this week, Kansas City will need to make reservations for Atlanta.
Patriots 41 Chargers 28
This is what they call an old fashioned butt whooping. It was 35-7 at halftime, and the game was over. Sony Michel was happy to land 3 TD’s, and Rex Burkhead added another one for good measure. New England dominated TOP 38:20-21:40, and almost had 500 yards to go with being +2 in turnover differential. The Chargers came out flat from the jump, and the Patriots took advantage. It seems that reports of the Patriots death have been greatly exaggerated. Make it 8 straight AFC championship games for the GOAT and Bill Belichick.
Championship predictions are coming soon. Now that the Cowboys are gone (sad), your humble writer can enjoy some football without the anxiety and worry.
Divine Interception 