2023 NFL Playoffs

[Busguy2010]

Admittedly I didn't know exactly where to post my actual points, but with the playoff picture heating up, I feel they can be embedded within playoff discussion.

First, anybody else love Dak Prescott's cadence? He says "Yeah, here we go". It's unique and I love that he says it in such a low resonating tone, coupled with the fact the man is absolutely on fire, it totally reminds me of playing NFL Blitz as a kid. It hits me right in the masculinity, Im like "yer dam rite Dak, lets bleepin go!" Makes me wanna fight alongside him. Now we're playing real football! I always liked Dak and after seeing him go through a few embattled years, it's great to see him succeeding. He's borderline made me a Cowboys fan.


Second, I'm not a Chiefs fan by any stretch, but they were kind of a team I'd root for before they won a lot. I thought it was really funny how upset the Chiefs and their fans got about the offensive offsides penalty on Kadarius Toney last sunday. Yeah, it's a penalty that doesn't get called often... Because it doesn't happen often. It was so clear, he practically lined up on defense. Coupled with his numerous drops, that guy needs to tighten his belt or he won't be there much longer.


Lastly, the last two AFC playoff spots are wide open with 6 teams sitting at 7-6. That brings me around to my final thought. Anybody else not care for the new playoffs? ~ 43% of teams are making the playoffs each year. That seems pretty high to me. Then the #2 seed has to play a wild card game against a team that very well could be .500 or worse. That just doesn't add up to me.

Anything else? Anything you like or dislike in the NFL this year to this point?

[nebport5]

I don't particularly love the new format. It's definitely harder to be a #2 seed now but I think that's partly the point of only giving the top seeds a bye. Still, I don't see much more of an advantage of being a 2 over a 3 or 4 seed. What bothers me the most is if you play in a lousy division and finish say 8-9(Tampa Bay last year) yet still win your division you're in the playoff while other teams with winning records don't get in. Unfortunately I think it's mostly about the NFL making more money with extra games rather than improving the league. Shouldn't it be about getting the best teams in the playoffs regardless of division? It's not as bad as the NBA or MLB where you can lose a ridiculous amount of games and still make the playoffs.

The Chiefs are like the new Patriots of the league and their latest whining about an obvious penalty is another reason to root for almost any other team in the AFC.

Dak looks pretty good this season but I'm still not sure he's "the guy". I don't have anything against him or the rest of Dallas except for Jerry Jones. Well that and I'm a 49ers fan.
If they can stay relatively healthy I don't see anyone else stopping them.

[Busguy2010]

The NFC is very interesting. A lot of good teams right now. Cowboys, Eagles, 9ers, Lions. You bring up a good point about the best teams. It'll be pretty unfortunate to see a lame NFC south team make the playoffs over perhaps Minnesota, Green Bay, Seattle or LA.

How do you think it could be worked out to have the teams with the best records? Would there be a purpose for divisions anymore?

The AFC is equally tight, but the top teams seem more vulnerable than the NFC.

[almighty_tuna]

Not directly related to the NFL playoffs, but not worth starting a new thread over; With Justin Herbert on IR, Creighton Prep alumn Easton Stick is now the starting QB for the Chargers.

[CBJason]

I’m not a fan of the new playoff format either, now you’re getting close to 50% of the teams getting in which is bogus to me, it should be closer to 1/3. I prefer divisions, but for those that don’t like the under .500 teams getting in as a division winner, you could say they could still get in if they had a better conference winning percentage or were better in common opponent matchups.

[Busguy2010]

So just hypothetically I want to look at what a playoff will look like before tonight's game. As it stands right now its

1 Ravens
7 Colts @ 2 Dolphins
6 Steelers @ 3 Chiefs
5 Browns @ 4 Jaguars

1 49ers
7 Packers @ 2 Cowboys
6 Vikings @ 3 Lions
5 Eagles @ 4 Buccaneers

Now, ATM, there's just a few differences in a "best team scenario. If it's sorted by best teams today, I believe the AFC would be unchanged. But the NFC would be slightly different in that the Eagles would be the 3 seed instead of the 5 and would host their playoff game. Lions would be the 4 seed and host their game against the 5 seed instead of the 6, and I think the Rams would get in instead of the Buccaneers.

A lot can change over the next few weeks, of course. I might revisit that thought after the playoffs are set.

[Busguy2010]

Unbelievable. A great game tonight between the Lions and Cowboys. I'm sure Cowboys fans are thanking Dan Campbell tonight. Didn't take a field goal earlier in the game, and went for two not one, not twice, but THREE times. Like dude, just cut your losses and kick the extra point!

I said it because the lions have always been one of my favorite teams. I KNEW Campbell was gonna go for two and I was trying to talk him out of it as hard as I could through my TV. But he had THREE chances to take it to OT and didn't. Unbelievable.

And I like the Cowboys, but the Lions are definitely the team I'm rooting for this playoffs season

[Coyote]

Unbelievable. A great game tonight between the Lions and Cowboys. I'm sure Cowboys fans are thanking Dan Campbell tonight. Didn't take a field goal earlier in the game, and went for two not one, not twice, but THREE times. Like dude, just cut your losses and kick the extra point!

I said it because the lions have always been one of my favorite teams. I KNEW Campbell was gonna go for two and I was trying to talk him out of it as hard as I could through my TV. But he had THREE chances to take it to OT and didn't. Unbelievable.

And I like the Cowboys, but the Lions are definitely the team I'm rooting for this playoffs season

[Busguy2010]

Oh wow, I didn't know there was a possibility the refs got it wrong on that play. As soon as the flag was thrown I knew it was for ineligible player, whether it was a legit penalty or not. It sounds like it wasn't legit and that should have been the game right there.

Regardless, I still think they should have kicked the extra point right after that. But to go for it again from the 7 was just mind boggling. Then they got lucky again when Dallas was offsides... should've kicked the extra point there too. Three chances to tie it and none of them were taken. I mean, a cat only has so many lives. I think Campbell let his emotions get the best of him after that (what now sounds like bs) call and at that point he had a point to prove. SMH

After all that rollercoaster, I had forgotten they still had to kickoff and I didn't realize they still technically had a chance with the onside kick.

I just don't know what he was thinking not taking OT. The defense was decent and it wasn't like they were kicking it to Patrick Mahomes with 23 seconds left. Its just so disappointing because Detroit has waited SO long for a season like this and they had a legit chance at the 1 seed if they won last night and next week, and the 49ers dropped one. Now I think they're locked out of that possibility, or at least it's extremely unlikely.

[almighty_tuna]

For those of you who like suffering, Stubhub has Chiefs tickets for tomorrow night's frigid game starting at $35 in the upper bowl and $110/ea for row 35 at the 50yd line.

[nebugeater]

For those of you who like suffering, Stubhub has Chiefs tickets for tomorrow night's frigid game starting at $35 in the upper bowl and $110/ea for row 35 at the 50yd line.

They will be cheaper tomorrow!!!!

[Busguy2010]

FUK YEAH LIONS!!!

[Busguy2010]

Thirty

Two

Years

The Lions are legit. They get Bucs or Eagles at home and I think they can beat either one. I love how this is setting up.

[Coyote]

[Louie]

Just because I have a lot of Cowboy fan friends who are soooo loud on social media. HOW BOUT THEM BOYS lol.

[Busguy2010]

Just because I have a lot of Cowboy fan friends who are soooo loud on social media. HOW BOUT THEM BOYS lol.

I'm completely surprised by the stinker they laid down. I was rooting hard for them. Neighbors were having a big watch party next door for the Packers and I literally said "well they're all gonna be crying tonight, they ain't beating them boys" then the exact opposite happens lol. Jordan love has a historic night. Though I did find it exciting the Cowboys scored 16 points in 2:30 to make it kind of interesting at the end. They needed 16 more and weren't too far off. They had an actual shot at them.

[Busguy2010]

Lol how they changed the pitch for the copyright. They made Mike Tirico sound like Patrick Star.

There's an outside shot I'll go to that game in Detroit. Long drive and tickers look to be at least 800 bucks at the moment. But the Lions had been my second team since I started really watching football in the 2000's. I'll actually go ahead and admit I shed some tears of joy after they won last night. I was a Patriots fan all the way up until Tom Brady left, then I realized I was actually more of just a Tom Brady fan so I rooted for him and the Bucs. Needless to say, I was a very fruitful 20 some years, but I've been searching for a new team to root for. I never thought I'd be rooting for the lions in a way I actually thought they had a chance. But they look legit, and they have the Bucs or Eagles at home next week. The Eagles are starting to look vulnerable and the Bucs are only in because they won the weakest division in the NFL. I'm pretty sure the Seahawks would have gotten in over them if it were a "best teams" scenario like we were talking earlier. Anyway, I like Detroit's odds against either of them.

[Busguy2010]

It's probably just talk, but Devin McCourty said if McCarthy gets canned, keep an eye out for Bill Belichick.

Thoughts on that?

I don't know after the last two seasons in New England, he kinda sorta proved his success was tied to Tom Brady. Would Tom Brady sell his ownership of the Raiders, come out of retirement at the spry age of 47, and play a one off season with Bill Belichick and the Cowboys and re-retire a champion?

[thenewguy]

i seriously doubt it, but Gronk still looks in playing shape, so maybe if it was a package deal?

Belichick to Dallas would sound good on paper, but he's old. Maybe they will wait until after the playoffs when they could offer it to a younger coordinator and try to breathe some fire into the team and have someone that can still do it in 10 years if they hit a homerun.

Personally, I'd love it if they hired someone past their prime (again) and only got mediocre results year after year. I've been a niners fan since I was like 5 years old, so I love seeing the cowboys fail :-P

[Busguy2010]

i seriously doubt it, but Gronk still looks in playing shape, so maybe if it was a package deal?

It's pretty far fetched, but it actually could be plausible. I'd LMAO. Both Gronk and Brady keep making little jokes about playing again, and though Belichick is past retirement age, he didn't say anything about not coaching. It would be hilarious to see them all in Dallas uniforms. That would blow up the Cowboys roster though. Dak is pretty dang good, but he has only one year left before he hits the market. Jerry Jones has been the flop king since the early 90's. It would be tough but nobody is Brady-Gronk good.

[Busguy2010]

Game over man.

I'm glad the Eagles didn't win... But I didn't count on the Bucs looking that good. A little nervous now lol

[Louie]

Game over man.

I'm glad the Eagles didn't win... But I didn't count on the Bucs looking that good. A little nervous now lol

Baker out here rewriting his legacy. With injured ribs and a bad ankle too. Wow.

[Busguy2010]

I noticed this live but was reminded today. Jordan love used his own cadence allll game, but on the final kneel down, he said "here we go". I'm no packer fan, but that's just cold

[almighty_tuna]

That is savage af! Wowza!

My condolences, Lou.

[Coyote]

So, now we have:
Baltimore and Kansas City
San Francisco and Detroit

So who do all think?

[nebugeater]

So, now we have:
Baltimore and Kansas City
San Francisco and Detroit

So who do all think?

San Fran and KC

[Coyote]

I would like to see Kansas City and Detroit.

[Busguy2010]

I like Detroit's odds against the 9ers. They didn't look great the other day.

I'm disappointed the Bills didn't get over the hump cause I'm just tired of the Chiefs.

I'm rooting for the Lions. Either way if they make it to the super bowl, it's gonna be a tough game. On one hand they already beat the Chiefs, on the other, I want the Chiefs to get creamed by the Ravens next week. I don't even want them to have a shot at another super bowl. In the same pot, the Lions got creamed by the Ravens already, but maybe that was something for the Lions to learn from.

I just hope the Lions win. The Lions have been my other team for like 20 years... it's just there's been nothing to root for until now. Its always been SOL (same old Lions). So this season is very sweet. All my coworkers think I'm a huge bandwagon fan now lol.

[nebport5]

Unless you're a Chiefs fan everyone else is sick of them. I think Buffalo had too many injuries on defense and there were some questionable play calls on offense in the second half otherwise they may have pulled it out. You can't rule the Chiefs out with their playoff experience though Baltimore should clearly be favored. The Lions have had a great year but they have the longest shot at making the Super Bowl unless S.F. continues to suffer more injuries and they don't get Debo back.


Super Bowl = Ravens vs. 49ers


Ravens will have the edge with Lamar Jackson.

[Busguy2010]

The 49ers looked vulnerable this weekend. Purdy wasn't real purdy, they lost Deebo, and skirted by the 7 seed. I'm not really counting on it, but I think it'll be a game.

I honestly don't think anybody is beating the Ravens in the long run.

[Coyote]

[Coyote]

[Busguy2010]

I'm so incredibly disappointed with the outcomes today. Couldn't be a more bland matchup for the SB. Lions left 6 points on the table, gave up a 17 point lead, and had every right representing the NFC. 49ers didn't win it, Lions lost it.

Ravens just blew it.

I have next to no interest in the Super Bowl now. I don't care for either team, just less bored of the 49ers I guess.

Meh

[nebport5]

The Ravens really did blow it. They couldn't buy a pass interference or holding call on the Chiefs but their boneheaded play/lack of composure really cost them. Overall, I think the Ravens got out coached and the Chiefs defense played really well.

Certainly a tough loss for the Lions yet who would've even thought they'd get this far? They still had a great year. The 49ers have had the best offense all year and it showed in the second half. You have to give Purdy credit too for a great second half performance. The 9ers run defense hasn't been as good this year but they have playmakers on defense who create turnovers. How well they can limit the Chiefs run game should be the difference in the S.B.

[Coyote]

Super Bowl LVIII

Who are you for San Francisco or Kansas City?

[Coyote]

Super Bowl LVIII

[Coyote]

[mrsticka]

The Chiefs did it again. Taylor Swift sure is happy.

[Busguy2010]

The Chiefs did it again. Taylor Swift sure is happy.

Stagburn it!

[Cermak]

A great game! . The 49ers had their chances to win it. They looked like the better team most of the game, that blocked extra point was absolutely huge. You don’t ever want to give Mahomes the ball late in the game when he can drive for a winning score.