College Football Comes to a Close and NFL Playoffs Take Another Step Toward Super Bowl
Early in college football’s national championship game you had to wonder whether the nation’s number one team would get beyond their own 10-yard line.
The LSU Tigers were befuddled by a surprise defensive alignment by the Clemson challengers.
The “other” Tigers from the ACC employed a defense featuring 3 men upfront and 7 defensive backs. LSU, and their Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow were clearly confused.
But only for awhile.
At one point, Clemson led LSU 17-7, the only time this season the SEC champs had trailed by double-digits.
But champions adjust, and adjust they did.
LSU’s advantage at halftime was 28-17. It was the most points Clemson had given up in an entire GAME all year.
Having captured two of the past three national titles, it figured that Clemson would make a run in the third quarter, and they did. But it wasn’t enough. After cutting the LSU lead to 28-25, the Tigers from Baton Rouge took command.
So, in the final analysis, LSU withstood their sluggish start and as the game progressed made practically all the big plays to earn their national crown, and in the process, ended Clemson’s remarkable 29-game winning streak.
Joe Burrow accounted for six touchdowns, passing for five, running for one.
He has the Heisman, and now, a championship ring.
Joe Burrow
All that awaits is hearing his name called as the number one draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals this coming April.
What an amazing run.
While the world of college football came to a close with the national championship, the NFL playoffs took another step toward the Super Bowl with the divisional round last weekend.
With the possible exception of the Packers-Seahawks battle Sunday night, the games played never really came down to the wire. But there were plenty of thrilling and memorable moments during those games.
The Packers held off the hard-charging Hawks to win by less than a touchdown after Aaron Rodgers changed the play at the line of scrimmage and found Davonte Adams for 32 yards on 3d and 8 with a little more than 2 minutes remaining, then hit Jimmy Graham needing 9 yards on 3d down with just under the 2-minute mark to ice the game.
I thought Seattle would spring an upset in frigid Lambeau Field because of their QB, Russell Wilson and his uncanny ability to keep plays alive with his head, his heart and his feet. Something he did exceedingly well in the second half after Rodgers and the Packers took a 21-3 lead at intermission.
The real difference was Green Bay’s advantage on the line of scrimmage, a factor in at least one other contest we witnessed and a guide to what we can anticipate in this week’s conference title games.
Seattle couldn’t mount a pass rush against Rodgers on one side of the ball, while the Packers secondary forced Wilson to ad-lib a bit more than usual when the Seahawks had possession.
Now the Packers take to the road to face the 49ers with the survivor headed to Miami and the Super Bowl. The 49ers handled the Vikings comfortably, preventing another upset-surprise by Minnesota.
How many readers are aware the San Francisco 49ers won only 4 games last season.
Now they are one step away from playing for the world championship.
Two reasons. One, their quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo was out with an injury for most of 2018. I know it’s a broken record, but it’s virtually impossible to compete over the long haul without your starter at the game’s most important position.
And maybe, at this point, we should recognize that perhaps the next most significant position is a a fearsome pass rusher. That’s the second reason the 49ers jumped so high this year.
Drafting Nick Bosa on the second pick, transformed the 49ers into a complete team that ranked amount the best. How can one addition accomplish so much, you ask?
Nick Bosa
Having a relentless force at defensive end who not only sacks enemy quarterbacks, but punishes them when they do get off a pass, makes them hurry, and practically lives in the opponent’s backfield, opens the door for other linemen and linebackers, even defensive backs, who apply pressure that changes the game.
Then, when you have an offensive line who protects your own QB, and opens up lanes for a trio of dangerous running backs, well, you have the recipe for a Super Bowl contender.
Add to that, the versatility of one of the league’s top two tight ends, George Kittle.
The AFC games were fascinating for different reasons.
After telling those who would listen, how formidable the Baltimore Ravens were, I was shocked and speechless, (if that’s possible), watching them get man-handled by the Tennessee Titans.
The Ravens were outplayed in the trenches, both the offensive and defensive lines of the Titans took over the game, or what there was of it.
Running back Derrick Henry, all 247 pounds of him, bulldozed his way to 195 yards and a nifty little jump-pass for a touchdown, while the line protected quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins cast-off to a second straight road win over a powerhouse.
Derrick Henry
On wildcard weekend, the Titans outplayed the Super Bowl champion Patriots in Foxboro. On divisional weekend, the Titans outplayed the number one seeded Ravens in Baltimore, who had won their last 12 straight games en route to the league’s best 14-2 record.
What happened to the Ravens quarterback whiz Lamar Jackson?
The same thing that happens to all quarterbacks, great, and not-so-great, when they are pressured out of their comfort zone…ineffectiveness and mistakes.
Lamar Jackson, who has yet to come through in two post-season showings, needs the experience he hopefully gained against the Titans.
Baltimore’s head coach John Harbaugh made the decision to rest several of his starters, including Jackson, week 17, with their top-seed all wrapped up. Then came a week off.
Were the Ravens rusty after 19 days without game action?
They certainly were nowhere near the way they dominated practically all of the year.
Then there are the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite their blow-out triumph, people are still talking about their victory over the Houston Texans. It wasn’t so much their trouncing of the Texans, it’s the way they did it.
Trailing 24-0 in the second quarter, the Chiefs proceeded to score 41 unanswered points, in a dramatic reversal of fortunes.
The suddenness of putting 21 points on the board in less than 3-and-a-half minutes, to get back into the game quickly, was amazing.
Patrick Mahomes wound up throwing 5 touchdown passes, and the Chiefs were scoring at will.
The fact is, they couldn’t be stopped.
Patrick Mahomes
This brings into question, some of the decisions made by coaches in two games in particular.
Leading 24-7, Houston head coach Bill O’Brien elected to fake a punt on 4th and 4 from his own 31-yard line. The maneuver failed and O’Brien has been roasted for it.
I recall several years ago, when Bill Belichick tried on fourth down to make considerable yardage in his own territory, instead of making the percentage move and punt. This was a big game against the Colts when Peyton Manning was their quarterback.
The move backfired and the Patriots ultimately lost the game.
Belichick was roundly criticized.
I’ve seen these gambles work, and I’ve seen them fail.
Everyone claims it’s a great maneuver when they work.
They rip the decision when it doesn’t. It’s called second-guessing.
It’s easy. Only one man has to make a first-guess. In this case it was Bill O’Brien.
I don’t think it mattered one bit. The Texans couldn’t stop the Chiefs.
That’s the bottom line.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll punted on 4th and 11 from his own 36 trailing the Packers 28-23 with 2:41 remaining.
Second-guessers have had a ball with that one, too.
To me, this is a no-brainer.
If Seattle doesn’t get the 11 yards, the game is essentially over.
The Seahawks had three times-out, plus the 2-minute warning to use on defense to stop the Packers and get the ball back for one last shot.
But Rodgers completed two clutch passes and Seattle never got a chance.
Seattle couldn’t stop the Packers. Houston couldn’t stop Kansas City.
End of story.
This coming week, the conference finals.
I saw the Chiefs win their last and only Super Bowl 50 years ago.
Will Andy Reid finally win one? He has to get back there first.
Will Green Bay and Kansas City meet again? As they did in the very first Super Bowl, which was called the AFC-NFC Championship Game.
Or will the Tennessee Titans get there with Ryan Tannehill at the helm.
I’m sure a lot of folks predicted that, before the season began.
Lots of football talk this week. Why not? These are the biggest weeks.
