FMQB: Everything’s bigger in Texas, especially the tears
This past week of games was saved two competitive contests on Sunday.
Quick Hits:
- Atlanta Rolled past Seattle. You knew the day was going to be long when Russell Wilson got stepped on for a safety, and the “scoring” player if you will was an offensive lineman that Atlanta brought in for defense
- Patriots cruised past the Texans, which was no surprise. But Brady definitely showed weakness against a strong defense, and the Texans definitely held their own the first half.
- The Packers win over Dallas was the game of the year. We had an 18 point comeback, game winning, then tying, then winning FG’s of over 50 yards each. A crazy final drive where the Packers should have punted from their own 20 but somehow ended up with a FG out of it after Jared Cook’s crazy catch. I still find it unbelievable that they didn’t call a play, the receivers just ran routes.
- The Chiefs were the first team to score 2 TD’s and lose to a team who didn’t score any TD. I think that’s the definition of a “Bend don’t Break” defense. Exciting end of the game, would have liked to see it go into OT. I call this game “Kicker’s Delight”
Stat of the Week:
The 4 remaining teams are a combined 29-1 combined since Week 12.
Stat of the Week #2:
Crosby was the first kicker in NFL history to kick 2 FG’s of 50+ yards in the last 2 minutes of the game.
Stat of the Week #3:
13 of the last 14 Super Bowls will feature Brady, Manning or Roethlisberger. If that lack of parity isn’t evident, then how about the fact that the winner between New England and Pittsburgh will play in a record 9 Super Bowls. Yes, that means that 1 team out of 32 will have played in nearly 18% of Super Bowls.
Stolen Stat of the Week #4:
Proof that it’s elite QB’s who make it deep into the playoffs. Passer ratings of the Final Four, regular season: Ryan, 117.1, Brady, 112.2, Rodgers, 104.2, Roethlisberger, 95.4. Combined touchdown passes: 135. Picks: 29.
Stat of the Week #5:
LeVeon Bell has broken the Steelers postseason rushing yard record 2 weeks in a row now, now holding spots #1 and #2
Stat of the Week #6:
Chris Boswell now has the record of most FG’s in playoff history. He booted 6 on Sunday.
External Article:
Reading this article about Aaron Rodger’s photographic memory is insane. If you want to skip the fluff, go down to the part where the guy lays out the situation regarding a single play 15 years ago, and see how Rodgers finishes his sentence explaining exactly what the route was and what the defense was doing…all from recall.
Quote of the Week:
“Just get open” Aaron Rodgers
Comparing 2 Elite Franchises:
It’s amazing comparing the Steelers (6 Super Bowl wins) and the 49ers (5 Super Bowl wins). Between the 2 teams, they have won 22% of the big games. You can credit the Steelers strong organizational structure, and hall of fame coaches. But it’s crazy to see that since 1969, yes the same year we landed on the Moon, the Steelers have had only 3 head coaches. Right now the 49ers are about to hire their 4th head coach in 4 years.
Championship Round!
Packers at Falcons
The Packers are riding a crazy win streak and hot QB into the conference championship game, and yet they’re the underdog to a team that nobody’s talking about. Atlanta thrashed Seattle, and you wonder if the Packers and their injuries if they could keep up in a shootout. Love that the Over/Under is 60.5 points, defensive coaches are going to hate this matchup. I want the Packers to win, hands down, but foresee them falling short Falcons 38, Packers 34.
Steelers at Patriots:
It seems that these teams have met a lot, and yet it’s the first championship game rematch since Big Ben’s
Final Four:
We now have 4 different combinations of Super Bowls remaining. It’s a yearly tradition to examine each possibility briefly:
Patriots vs Packers: A rematch of Super Bowl XXXI, where Favre creamed the Patriots to get his only title. This was actually my pick at the beginning of the season!!! Would be a first for me in 6 years of doing this, so I’m rooting for this matchup a bit biasly.
Patriots vs Falcons: For some reasons the Falcons are really flying under the radar this year, but I see this as the most likely matchup. Could be an offensive explosion of a game.
Steelers vs Falcons: Killer B’s vs. the Dirty Birds! This one seems like a weird matchup to me, but would likely be another offensive high scoring game.
Steelers vs Packers: Perhaps the least likely, but a rematch of the last time both of these teams were in the big game, 6 years ago played in Super Bowl XLV. Exciting game between Rodgers and Roethlisberger, it was a 6 point contest until the very end. Also has probably the 2 highest fan-bases in the league, which could shoot ticket costs back up again.
Egregious Error:
I need to admit to and adjust an error I had last week. As if 30 isn’t bad enough, apparently now my memory is fading. In last week’s column, I proclaimed that the Texans shutout the Patriots in Foxborough earlier in the season. I couldn’t have been more wrong, in fact it was the Patriots who shut out the Texans, winning 27-0 with Jacoby Brissett. It was the following week against the Bills that the Patriots laid a goose egg. I honestly don’t remember it happening this way, but the Box Scores don’t lie.