Talkin' NFL Playoffs Conference Championship Weekend

by Eric Fulton & Julian Spivey
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Julian: The NFL Playoffs Divisional Round was as good as the Wild Card round was bad. All four games were close, they all ended up being within one score. There were also some pretty major upsets and some instant classics. Of the four Divisional Round games, which was your favorite?

Eric: No doubt Buffalo vs. Kansas City. Just the final two minutes of the four quarter alone was crazy. 25 points were in that last two minutes. High scoring affair between two evenly matched teams. It is shame one had to lose and end their season. Now I know Buffalo did not touch the ball in overtime but again from start to finish it was entertaining.

Julian: I was only able to catch the last six minutes of the Packers/49ers game on Saturday but couldn’t believe the end result. I missed all of Titans/Bengals due to my schedule, but Sunday was the better day either way. The Buccaneers comeback against the Rams was almost as epic as Tom Brady’s led Patriots over the Falcons in the Super Bowl a few years back. It seemed that game was destined for overtime with the Buccs having taken all the momentum away from the Rams and when all of a sudden Matthew Stafford finds Cooper Kupp, who I really think needs to be high in the MVP voting this year, for a long completion that leads to a game-winning field goal. But yes Chiefs/Bills was potentially the most fun I’ve ever had watching the last 15-plus minutes of a football game with all the going back and forth, especially in the final two minutes. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen that many combiner points with that little amount of time remaining on the clock.

Julian: The game was not without its controversy though in that the Bills didn’t get to possess the ball in overtime with the Chiefs driving down the field and scoring a touchdown to win it. Do you think the NFL needs a rule change when it comes to overtime games?

Eric: I feel like they do just because if one team scores on its first possession the game is over. The other team would be mad because they did not get a chance to at least tie the game. I know we rarely see playoff overtime in the NFL, but it had been long overdue to change the rules.

Julian: I think I might still be at a point where I just know it’s better now than the way it was for many years in which any score would end the game and it really did feel like the coin toss would sway the game because it doesn’t seem to take all that much work to get into field goal range in the NFL. At least this version that makes the team receiving the ball first score a TD to win gives the defense more of a fighting chance. But I do think both offenses having the chance to possess the ball would be even more fair. I just don’t want to see it done like college football where the team already is in field goal range when they get the ball. I want defense to have some say in the outcome. I also want the clock to remain an aspect.

Julian: According to Yahoo Sports the Chiefs/Bills game is the fifth greatest NFL game ever played - do you agree with that?

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Eric: Wow! I can see it being top five in some people's eyes, but in others would say it is tainted because of the NFL overtime rules in the playoffs. But as far as entertainment value goes, this game is in the top five for sure. It is a shame that this Super Bowl likely won't top this game.
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Julian: It was certainly one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen, but I have trouble putting into perspective with some great games of the past. Like “The Greatest Game Ever Played” and “The Ice Bowl” are part of Football lore and I just don’t know where a division round playoff matchup fits in with that. I guess the test of time will show where this game ranks.

Julian: On Saturday you texted me: “Well, I feel as though the Titans and Cowboys are the same teams.” What did you mean by that?

Eric: The Titans and Cowboys won their divisions pretty easily. They both had a home playoff game and they both were one and done. I would say Tennessee has the better coach and better team overall, but the fact that they were slim favorites at home and lost tells you what is going on with both teams. They have decent rosters, but they have come up short in the playoffs.

Julian: Speaking of one and done, the Packers were the favorites by many going into the playoffs to win it all and they pretty much laid an egg at home in Lambeau in frosty weather against the San Francisco 49ers. How did this happen?

Eric: I don't know what happened with the Packers. I am stunned at their performance. They only scored 10 points at home, and they had the first round bye on top of that. The 49ers were the better team Saturday. The playoff mystique at Lambeau Field has disappeared. It was once the toughest place to play in the playoffs.

Julian: The Packers and Aaron Rodgers simply haven’t been good in the postseason going back almost a decade now. For much of that decade Rodgers has been one of the two or three and some would even say best QB in the NFL. How does his lack of postseason success affect his legacy?

Eric: Rodgers has the same legacy as Brett Favre. The Packers have had 30 years of experience between these two quarterbacks, and they could only win two Super Bowls. Green Bay had a lot of good teams in that time but couldn't win the whole thing.

Julian: You picked Patrick Mahomes as your Wild Card round Player of the Week. Are you sticking with him for the Divisional Round or is there another player you’d like to shout out?

Eric: Yeah, I am going to stick with Mahomes. He has had two great games so far in the playoffs. We will see if can keep it up this week in the AFC championship game.

Julian: For the second straight week I see your Mahomes pick and agree with your Mahomes pick but want to spice things up and go with a Buffalo Bills players. I hate to pick a player of the week in a losing fashion, but I can't ignore the record-setting game had by Bills receiver Gabriel Davis and his four touchdowns catches, eight receptions and 201 yards (which is more than 25 a catch). Not even the all-time greatest Jerry Rice ever caught four TDs in a playoff game.

Eric: That is an excellent pick.

Julian: Alright, let's get on to our Conference Championship predictions. I don't see how the Championship Round could possibly be as good as the Divisional Round was, especially because I think the matchups this weekend are weaker than they were last weekend. It's unfortunate, but somehow that's how the seeding from the regular season works out. The AFC championship will see the Cincinnati Bengals, who went from not winning a playoff game in more than 30 years to winning two in as many weeks, traveling to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to take on the Chiefs, who are looking for a trip to their third straight Super Bowl. This game will be Sunday, January 30 at 2 p.m. (CST) on CBS. What's your prediction, Eric?

Eric: Chiefs and Bengals met in Week 17 in a thriller with Cincinnati winning on a walk off field goal that helped clinch the AFC North. Joe Burrow had a tough game, but overall, he has been my MVP for the season. Jamarr Chase will win Offensive Rookie of the Year. If the Bengals had this game at home, I would pick them, but I can't go with the Chiefs who will host the AFC Championship game for the fourth straight year. Kansas City wins 38-28.

Julian: A 10-point win for the Chiefs seems very reasonable to me, but I also can’t help but feel this one might not be that close. I felt like if any playoff team in the AFC could knock Kansas City off its pedestal it would’ve been the Bills. The Chiefs are just too veteran from top to bottom to fall to an upstart team like the Bengals in such a big game. Though, wouldn’t that be quite the story of Cincinnati went from not being able to win a playoff game in more than 30 years to Super Bowl appearance.

Julian: The NFC Championship is an all-California matchup with the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Los Angeles Rams. That game can be seen on Fox at 5:30 Sunday afternoon. How do you see this one playing out?

Eric: These two teams know each other well. But the 49ers have had the Rams number in recent time. Kyle Shanahan is 6-0 head to head vs. Sean McVay. These two are the young guns in football coaching. I always think the team that goes into the playoffs with momentum on their side is the one that usually go on a run. Maybe it is San Francisco's turn. The Rams have been good defensively all season, but down the stretch outside of the Arizona playoff game, their defense is taking a beating in the second half. That should be something to watch. I do expect the 49ers to play better offensively with better weather conditions. I am going with the underdog 49ers to come away with a 27-24, emotionally charged rivalry victory.

Julian: Wow. Shanahan is 6-0 vs. McVay head-to-head. That’s a great stat of which I was unaware. It makes me almost want to change my prediction. I didn’t think either of these teams would be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl at any point during the season. I feel like on paper the Rams are simply better even with your head-to-head stat proving they’ve had no success against the 49ers in many years. L.A. has the better defense, the better quarterback and the better receiving corps. I just have to take the Rams in this game.