NFL’s Sunday Championship is the Perfect Example of “What We Know is ‘Likely’ to Unfold,” Often Does Not

 

I know it sounds like a broken record, but the great phenomenon of the live human drama which sports really is, happens to be its sheer unpredictability.

What we know is “likely” to unfold, often does, but so often it doesn’t.

And that’s the wonderful appeal when there is competition in a sporting event.

Thus, this past Sunday of the NFL championship contests, is the perfect example.

The drama began last Wednesday, when there were reports Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had an injured hand and was listed as questionable to play up all the way to the day of the game.

What kind of injury was it?

How much of a problem would it be?

Was Brady really hurt, or was it a ruse to confuse the Jacksonville Jaguars and the public?

We learned the injury, a cut on Brady’s throwing hand, caused by a running back’s helmet in practice, was legit.

How much would  the heart and soul of the Patriots offense be affected?

So going in, what was seen as a solid advantage for the defending Super Bowl champs, facing the Cinderella Jags at home in a big game, was blunted by the big question concerning Tom Brady.

So, what happened, was that Brady was able to overcome the injury, and showed no apparent problem, overcoming a 10-point fourth quarter deficit by firing two touchdowns in the final nine minutes to the remarkable hero Danny Amendola.

Of course, the Patriots always seem to have somebody step-up when it counts.

Amendola, not only caught huge passes throughout the game, he might have made the biggest play with his punt return to set-up the winning drive.

Already assured of good field position, Amendola at first signaled he would let the punt drop before he deftly caught the kick and ran 20 yards to the Jaguars 20.

It’s always the little things.

The Patriots were surprisingly outplayed badly by Jacksonville in the first half.

I thought going into the game, that the highly-confident Jags, fueled by trash-talk which has been their modus operandi, might wilt under the glare of playing such a significant game against such a battle-tested group in their house.

But that wasn’t the case.

The Jaguars proved they were the real thing.

They were as good as the Patriots faced all season, and their much-maligned quarterback, Blake Bortles, finally put to rest his ability to lead and win.

True, he didn’t get it done at the end, but when you have to throw the ball and the opposition knows it, it’s awfully difficult to succeed.

This game showed the New England Patriots at their best.

Their backs were against the wall. They had lost their second-best weapon, Ron Gronkowski to a concussion protocol in the second quarter. They had looked vulnerable.

But they ultimately found a way.

It’s why they have five Super Bowl trophies.

But how many out there would have thought the Patriots in this game, against the Jaguars, would be in a fight for their lives with Tom Brady healthy enough to perform at his usual level?

Not many.  The unexpected won out. Again.

The NFC title game, between the Eagles and Vikings,  was supposed to be the barn-burner of the day.

How wrong we were.

The two burning questions entering the game was whether the Vikings would win and be playing on their home field in the Super Bowl, and whether the Eagles, playing on THEIR home field, would survive as underdogs for the second consecutive week ?

It’s fascinating how much the Eagles had lost support after Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury six weeks ago.

I know, I for one, felt what was such an impressive campaign for the Eagles would not end well for them after the ACL injury suffered by Wentz, who was a bona fide MVP candidate.

Having to go the rest of the way with backup Nick Foles would be too much for Philly.

Another heart-breaking story for a team, having lost its starting quarterback to injury.

Using my since altered theory that the best QB will triumph, I was confident, that the Falcons’ Matt Ryan would upend the Eagles in the divisional playoff last week.

This week, I figured the Vikings, who were playing a second-string signal-caller of their own in Case Keenum, had the better defense to make Foles a mere mortal.

Guess what, he isn’t.

At least he hasn’t been.

Actually, he may be more of the quarterback, who in his second year in the NFL, 2013, in his first stint with Philadelphia, threw 27 touchdown passes and was intercepted only twice.

Last Sunday, the Vikings stunned the Eagles and their fans quickly scoring a touchdown on their first possession.  They made it look easy. Too easy.

But it seemed to wake up the home team.

From that moment on, the Eagles performed as if they were one beat ahead of the Vikings, who didn’t appear as if they wanted it as badly as the Eagles.

Thirty-eight unanswered points later, and what was supposed to be the game of the day, proved to be a ho-hum affair to all but the Eagles and their fans.

The message was clear.

Don’t underestimate the Philadelphia Eagles (notice I didn’t use the common and over-used cliché “disrespect”).

So now the Super Bowl will feature the Patriots, yet again, and the Eagles, who the Pats beat in Super Bowl 39 .

The Eagles go in, as the biggest underdog since 2009.

Yes, the Eagles are underdogs again.

More on the game next week. But right now I’m thinking the Dogs of War might fool people once again.

 

_____________________________________

 

Enjoy Dick’s FREE podcast, “Stockton!” where he shares a different perspective on the world of sports along with stories that he has collected from his unique front-row seat. 

 

Download for FREE at the iTunes store    http://apple.co/2lwjg8F