2024–25 NFL playoffs

[JohnS]

9 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

and john, as always, you are more than entitled to your opinion, even if it is wrong. 

Haha...it's all a good laugh. On the one hand, for a professional sport to be successful, it goes without saying that its players need to play the game to its highest standard. On the other hand, in the modern world, any professional sport requires a following via television (whether it's free-to-air, pay or streaming) and also theatre, by which I mean, drama. Let's blame the Ancient Greeks for that...specifically, Aristotle.

The Washington Commanders this season is a feelgood story, without a doubt. It would be great if they make the SuperBowl. But this weekend, there's more drama to be had in Josh Allen taking hold of his destiny and avenging the legacy of Jim Kelly in the Bills getting to their first SuperBowl since 1994. Now, Sam Darnold had his chance to go one step better than the great Fran Tarkenton, but he was sacked 9 times in a dreadful loss to the LA Rams. Jared Goff could have gotten the Detroit Lions to their first SuperBowl ever but he allowed three intercepts and the team turned the ball over 5 times to ensure the Eagles and Commanders are playing this weekend.

The NFC Championship has its interest in Jayden Daniels being a rookie Quarterback and Jalen Hurts trying to return to the SuperBowl a second time, but I still feel that the AFC Championship between the Chiefs and the Bills is the main spectacle because the Chiefs at home are heavily favoured to win and the Bills away are not.

Then again, Liston was expected to beat Clay not once, but twice in 1964-65, the Baltimore Orioles were heavily favoured to defeat the New York Mets in the 1969 World Series and nobody expected Muhammad Ali to comeback and defeat George Freeman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974. And Broadway Joe once said, "We're going to win the game. I guarantee it."

[Chibearsv]

23 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

JD5 will attract a lot of viewers. plus more people watch the nfc surely? 

personally, i think it is likely way more will watch the commodes v the filth than mahomes v allen, though i suspect massive numbers will watch both. 

Don't forget to count on the Swifties like @Chas.Alpha to boost those Buffalo/KC rating numbers 😁

[Chas.Alpha]

1 minute ago, Chibearsv said:

Don't forget to count on the Swifties like @Chas.Alpha to boost those Buffalo/KC rating numbers 😁

Tay-Tay. We call her Tay-Tay. 🥰

[Ken Gargett]

12 hours ago, JohnS said:

Haha...it's all a good laugh. On the one hand, for a professional sport to be successful, it goes without saying that its players need to play the game to its highest standard. On the other hand, in the modern world, any professional sport requires a following via television (whether it's free-to-air, pay or streaming) and also theatre, by which I mean, drama. Let's blame the Ancient Greeks for that...specifically, Aristotle.

The Washington Commanders this season is a feelgood story, without a doubt. It would be great if they make the SuperBowl. But this weekend, there's more drama to be had in Josh Allen taking hold of his destiny and avenging the legacy of Jim Kelly in the Bills getting to their first SuperBowl since 1994. Now, Sam Darnold had his chance to go one step better than the great Fran Tarkenton, but he was sacked 9 times in a dreadful loss to the LA Rams. Jared Goff could have gotten the Detroit Lions to their first SuperBowl ever but he allowed three intercepts and the team turned the ball over 5 times to ensure the Eagles and Commanders are playing this weekend.

The NFC Championship has its interest in Jayden Daniels being a rookie Quarterback and Jalen Hurts trying to return to the SuperBowl a second time, but I still feel that the AFC Championship between the Chiefs and the Bills is the main spectacle because the Chiefs at home are heavily favoured to win and the Bills away are not.

Then again, Liston was expected to beat Clay not once, but twice in 1964-65, the Baltimore Orioles were heavily favoured to defeat the New York Mets in the 1969 World Series and nobody expected Muhammad Ali to comeback and defeat George Freeman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974. And Broadway Joe once said, "We're going to win the game. I guarantee it."

john, i would argue that the chiefs being heavily favoured is likely to reduce numbers. people want the fairy tale. i await the ratings. 

as for a bills legacy, spare me, not one any team wants.

jim kelly? a very good QB but you want him in the trenches next to you if your life depends on it? not really at his best in clutch moments. not a welcome legacy. Thurston Thomas - the MVP that year and supposed to be one of the all time greats. 10 rushes for 13 yards. mind you, that was after he finally found his helmet.

one thing about that game, they had to repeat the kick-off. my friends in the states never knew that but aussies viewers did. they did the kick off and discovered that the coverage was still doing ads. so they had a second kickoff. still didn't give Thomas enough time to find his helmet. 

i know that the final score was within a couple of scores but the reality was a thumping (and my fave ever skins game, until possibly last weekend). gibbs replaced most of the starters for the last quarter and a half to give them time on the field in a superbowl and the bills got some garbage time points. but it was over by the first 20 seconds of the second half when we went 24-0 up (these guys were not the falcons of their day - they were never going to lose it). it is extraordinary to listen to Charles Mann describe that play. bills had it down near their line from the kickoff. the skins coaches had said that what the bills will do is this and that so we do a pretend blitz but if you go here and you go there, kelly is going to look to pass it to X so Kurt G, you run this angle and you'll get the interception. and it was exactly what happened. could not have predicted it any better. gibbs was brilliant. kurt g was stopped a yard out and next play, in we went (forgive me reliving old glories but it has been a while). 

i would think a rematch against a team from the NFC East would be every bills fans' worst nightmare. all four losses were at the hands of the NFC East. but if it is against then iggles, i will be the bills biggest fan on the day. 

[Namisgr11]

I don't think the Chiefs are heavily favored.  The Vegas line I saw had them as 1.5 point favorites over the Bills.  The Eagles were giving 5.5 points to the Commanders.

[Ken Gargett]

2 minutes ago, Namisgr11 said:

I don't think the Chiefs are heavily favored.  The Vegas line I saw had them as 1.5 point favorites over the Bills.  The Eagles were giving 5.5 points to the Commanders.

absolutely agree, but i was using John's words. i think the bills might get home. 

was reading one piece last night which was talking about how, if the commanders can beat the iggles, they will have a repeat superbowl against the bills. i did think that, unless the writer knew something we don't, was a smidge premature, but who knows. 

[JohnS]

18 minutes ago, Namisgr11 said:

I don't think the Chiefs are heavily favored.  The Vegas line I saw had them as 1.5 point favorites over the Bills.  The Eagles were giving 5.5 points to the Commanders.

 

13 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

absolutely agree, but i was using John's words. i think the bills might get home. 

was reading one piece last night which was talking about how, if the commanders can beat the iggles, they will have a repeat superbowl against the bills. i did think that, unless the writer knew something we don't, was a smidge premature, but who knows. 

Fair enough. I exaggerated the point. Let's say that the Chiefs are simply favoured to prevail this weekend because Kansas City is 9-0 at home this year and has won 11 straight home games dating back to last season, amongst other things.

[Ken Gargett]

28 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Fair enough. I exaggerated the point. Let's say that the Chiefs are simply favoured to prevail this weekend because Kansas City is 9-0 at home this year and has won 11 straight home games dating back to last season, amongst other things.

john, you exaggerated? on FoH? oh dear. i never thought it would come to this but all i can say is shame, john, shame. 

i have told you a billion times not to exaggerate. 

[gormag38]

On 1/19/2025 at 4:28 PM, Ford2112 said:

Washington has that magic. 

Heckuva run they're on right now. Playing with house money and no fear. 

On 1/20/2025 at 8:24 AM, JohnS said:

So disappointing if you are a Detroit Lions fan. In summary, if you turnover the ball 5 times you will struggle to be competitive, as was the case with the Lions. 

The entire state seems to still be shell shocked. (As I'm sure Goff still is after that hit he took after his second TO)

On 1/21/2025 at 11:21 AM, VeguerosMAN said:

JD is a cold-blooded killer and is playing better than Mahomes, Allen, and Hurt right now. He does whatever it takes to win. 

Love the faith brother! Feels to me like maybe something is special is cooking. It obviously can all change so quickly, but I know who I'll be sprinkling some $$ on this weekend. 

On 1/20/2025 at 4:31 PM, Ken Gargett said:

we have ridden our luck so far. getting to the NFC Championship game is an astonishing achievement and should be celebrated by all commode fans. pray to the divinities we continue next week

Congrats on the big W for your boys Ken! I expected a mostly close game in all honesty, but figured the home team would come out on top. Lions came in and expected to sleep walk to a W and had another thing coming. Thought both our coordinators were cocky and arrogant with the play calling. You would've thought Glenn would stop blitzing after he continues to get burned. Or maybe he demand Campbell call a timeout when there was 12 men on the field on a pivotal 4th down.

Ben Johnson calling for a pass on 3rd and 1 in the red zone, when Gibbs was running it down Washington's throats the whole drive, only to have Goff fumble is inexcusable. Could've been 3-14. Instead it became 10-7. To me that's a distracted coordinator who's trying to do too much. Now that he's taken a job in the division, I hope he follows the long line of Chicago coaches since Ditka (sorry Bears fans). 

Anyway oh well. Just the Lions doing Lions things. I've lived with it this long, what's another year. 😆