The Pythagorean NFL
- Thread starter Garrett Garlits
- Start date
Same here. If people complain, just add an evil laugh or claim the Super Bowl was planned by someone who wanted to prove injuries aren't the problem people claim, with the Commissioner saying things like, "going through hard times buildS character. "
Now let's document the first four years of the Super Bowl era, 1966-69:
1966: Green Bay Packers (1) Defeated Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 to win Super Bowl I.
1967: Green Bay Packers (2) Defeated Oakland Raiders 33-14 to win Super Bowl II.
1968: New York Jets (1) Defeated Baltimore Colts 16-7 to win Super Bowl III.
1969: Kansas City Chiefs (1) Defeated Minnesota Vikings 23-7 to win Super Bowl IV.
Super Bowl Standings: NFL 2, AFL 2.
Next: We move our Roll Call of Champions into the seventies.
Thoughts?
1966: Green Bay Packers (1) Defeated Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 to win Super Bowl I.
1967: Green Bay Packers (2) Defeated Oakland Raiders 33-14 to win Super Bowl II.
1968: New York Jets (1) Defeated Baltimore Colts 16-7 to win Super Bowl III.
1969: Kansas City Chiefs (1) Defeated Minnesota Vikings 23-7 to win Super Bowl IV.
Super Bowl Standings: NFL 2, AFL 2.
Next: We move our Roll Call of Champions into the seventies.
Thoughts?
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Now to document the 1970s. Different champions than in real life are in bold caps. Different runners-up than in real life are in regular bold.
1970: MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1) Defeated Baltimore Colts 10-7 to win Super Bowl V.
1971: Dallas Cowboys (1) Defeated Miami Dolphins 24-3 to win Super Bowl VI.
1972: Miami Dolphins (1) Defeated Washington Redskins 14-7 to win Super Bowl VII.
1973: MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 21-9 to win Super Bowl VIII.
1974: Pittsburgh Steelers (1) Defeated Minnesota Vikings 16-6 to win Super Bowl IX.
1975: Pittsburgh Steelers (2) Defeated Dallas Cowboys 21-17 to win Super Bowl X.
1976: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 10-7 to win Super Bowl XI.
1977: Dallas Cowboys (2) Defeated Houston Oilers 30-7 to win Super Bowl XII.
1978: Pittsburgh Steelers (3) Defeated Dallas Cowboys 35-31 to win Super Bowl XIII.
1979: Pittsburgh Steelers (4) Defeated Washington Redskins 28-5 to win Super Bowl XIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the Decade: AFC 5, NFC 5.
Total Super Bowl Standings: AFC 7, NFC 7.
Site Notes:
1. Super Bowl VIII was moved from Rice Stadium to the Astrodome because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize Rice Stadium.
2. Super Bowls XI and XIV were each moved from the Rose Bowl to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize the Rose Bowl.
Next: We document the 1980s.
Thoughts?
1970: MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1) Defeated Baltimore Colts 10-7 to win Super Bowl V.
1971: Dallas Cowboys (1) Defeated Miami Dolphins 24-3 to win Super Bowl VI.
1972: Miami Dolphins (1) Defeated Washington Redskins 14-7 to win Super Bowl VII.
1973: MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 21-9 to win Super Bowl VIII.
1974: Pittsburgh Steelers (1) Defeated Minnesota Vikings 16-6 to win Super Bowl IX.
1975: Pittsburgh Steelers (2) Defeated Dallas Cowboys 21-17 to win Super Bowl X.
1976: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 10-7 to win Super Bowl XI.
1977: Dallas Cowboys (2) Defeated Houston Oilers 30-7 to win Super Bowl XII.
1978: Pittsburgh Steelers (3) Defeated Dallas Cowboys 35-31 to win Super Bowl XIII.
1979: Pittsburgh Steelers (4) Defeated Washington Redskins 28-5 to win Super Bowl XIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the Decade: AFC 5, NFC 5.
Total Super Bowl Standings: AFC 7, NFC 7.
Site Notes:
1. Super Bowl VIII was moved from Rice Stadium to the Astrodome because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize Rice Stadium.
2. Super Bowls XI and XIV were each moved from the Rose Bowl to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize the Rose Bowl.
Next: We document the 1980s.
Thoughts?
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Now let's document the 1980s. Different champions than in real life are in bold caps, while different runners-up are in regular bold:
1980: DETROIT LIONS (1) Defeated New England Patriots 20-14 to win Super Bowl XV.
1981: DETROIT LIONS (2) Defeated Cincinnati Bengals 24-20 to win Super Bowl XVI.
1982: NEW YORK JETS (2) Defeated Washington Redskins 26-10 to win Super Bowl XVII.
1983: Los Angeles Raiders (1) Defeated Washington Redskins 38-9 to win Super Bowl XVIII.
1984: San Francisco 49ers (2) Defeated Miami Dolphins 38-16 to win Super Bowl XIX.
1985: Chicago Bears (1) Defeated New England Patriots 46-10 to win Super Bowl XX.
1986: New York Giants (1) Defeated Denver Broncos 39-20 to win Super Bowl XXI.
1987: CLEVELAND BROWNS (1) Defeated Washington Redskins 24-13 to win Super Bowl XXII.
1988: San Francisco 49ers (3) Defeated Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 to win Super Bowl XXIII.
1989: San Francisco 49ers (4) Defeated Denver Broncos 55-10 to win Super Bowl XXIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the Decade: NFC 7, AFC 3.
Total Super Bowl Standings: NFC 14, AFC 10.
Site Notes:
1. Super Bowl XVII was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize the Rose Bowl.
2. Super Bowl XIX was held at Candlestick Park because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize Stanford Stadium.
3. I originally moved Super Bowl XXI to the LA Coliseum, but after thinking it over I've decided to move it back to the Rose Bowl because I didn't have to sim it.
Also, the Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982.
Next: We document the 1990s.
Thoughts?
1980: DETROIT LIONS (1) Defeated New England Patriots 20-14 to win Super Bowl XV.
1981: DETROIT LIONS (2) Defeated Cincinnati Bengals 24-20 to win Super Bowl XVI.
1982: NEW YORK JETS (2) Defeated Washington Redskins 26-10 to win Super Bowl XVII.
1983: Los Angeles Raiders (1) Defeated Washington Redskins 38-9 to win Super Bowl XVIII.
1984: San Francisco 49ers (2) Defeated Miami Dolphins 38-16 to win Super Bowl XIX.
1985: Chicago Bears (1) Defeated New England Patriots 46-10 to win Super Bowl XX.
1986: New York Giants (1) Defeated Denver Broncos 39-20 to win Super Bowl XXI.
1987: CLEVELAND BROWNS (1) Defeated Washington Redskins 24-13 to win Super Bowl XXII.
1988: San Francisco 49ers (3) Defeated Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 to win Super Bowl XXIII.
1989: San Francisco 49ers (4) Defeated Denver Broncos 55-10 to win Super Bowl XXIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the Decade: NFC 7, AFC 3.
Total Super Bowl Standings: NFC 14, AFC 10.
Site Notes:
1. Super Bowl XVII was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize the Rose Bowl.
2. Super Bowl XIX was held at Candlestick Park because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize Stanford Stadium.
3. I originally moved Super Bowl XXI to the LA Coliseum, but after thinking it over I've decided to move it back to the Rose Bowl because I didn't have to sim it.
Also, the Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982.
Next: We document the 1990s.
Thoughts?
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Now let's document the 1990s. Champions who are different from real life are in bold caps, while different runners-up are in regular bold.
1990: MIAMI DOLPHINS (2) Defeated New York Giants 3-0 to win Super Bowl XXV.
1991: Washington Redskins (1) Defeated Houston Oilers 27-19 to win Super Bowl XXVI.
1992: Dallas Cowboys (3) Defeated Buffalo Bills 52-17 to win Super Bowl XXVII.
1993: Dallas Cowboys (4) Defeated Buffalo Bills 30-13 to win Super Bowl XXVIII.
1994: San Francisco 49ers (5) Defeated San Diego Chargers 49-26 to win Super Bowl XXIX.
1995: PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5) Defeated San Francisco 49ers 23-20 to win Super Bowl XXX.
1996: Green Bay Packers (3) Defeated Denver Broncos 9-3 to win Super Bowl XXXI.
1997: Denver Broncos (1) Defeated Green Bay Packers 31-24 to win Super Bowl XXXII.
1998: Denver Broncos (2) Defeated Atlanta Falcons 34-19 to win Super Bowl XXXIII.
1999: St. Louis Rams (1) Defeated Tennessee Titans 23-16 to win Super Bowl XXXIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the Decade: NFC 6 AFC 4.
Total Super Bowl Standings to Date: NFC 20, AFC 14.
Note 1: I originally moved Super Bowl XXVII to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize the Rose Bowl, but I've decided to move the game back to the Rose Bowl since I didn't have to sim it.
Note 2: The Houston Oilers moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1997 and Nashville, Tennessee in 1998. They became known as the Titans in 1999.
Note 3: The Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995.
Next: We document the 2000s.
Thoughts?
1990: MIAMI DOLPHINS (2) Defeated New York Giants 3-0 to win Super Bowl XXV.
1991: Washington Redskins (1) Defeated Houston Oilers 27-19 to win Super Bowl XXVI.
1992: Dallas Cowboys (3) Defeated Buffalo Bills 52-17 to win Super Bowl XXVII.
1993: Dallas Cowboys (4) Defeated Buffalo Bills 30-13 to win Super Bowl XXVIII.
1994: San Francisco 49ers (5) Defeated San Diego Chargers 49-26 to win Super Bowl XXIX.
1995: PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5) Defeated San Francisco 49ers 23-20 to win Super Bowl XXX.
1996: Green Bay Packers (3) Defeated Denver Broncos 9-3 to win Super Bowl XXXI.
1997: Denver Broncos (1) Defeated Green Bay Packers 31-24 to win Super Bowl XXXII.
1998: Denver Broncos (2) Defeated Atlanta Falcons 34-19 to win Super Bowl XXXIII.
1999: St. Louis Rams (1) Defeated Tennessee Titans 23-16 to win Super Bowl XXXIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the Decade: NFC 6 AFC 4.
Total Super Bowl Standings to Date: NFC 20, AFC 14.
Note 1: I originally moved Super Bowl XXVII to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize the Rose Bowl, but I've decided to move the game back to the Rose Bowl since I didn't have to sim it.
Note 2: The Houston Oilers moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1997 and Nashville, Tennessee in 1998. They became known as the Titans in 1999.
Note 3: The Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995.
Next: We document the 2000s.
Thoughts?
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Now let's document the 2000s. Different champions from real life are in bold caps; different runners-up are in regular bold.
2000: Baltimore Ravens (1) Defeated New York Giants 34-7 to win Super Bowl XXXV.
2001: New England Patriots (1) Defeated St. Louis Rams 20-17 to win Super Bowl XXXVI.
2002: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1) Defeated Miami Dolphins 6-3 to win Super Bowl XXXVII.
2003: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1) Defeated Philadelphia Eagles 18-13 to win Super Bowl XXXVIII.
2004: PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6) Defeated Philadelphia Eagles 13-6 to win Super Bowl XXIX.
2005: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (1) Defeated New England Patriots 27-0 to win Super Bowl XL.
2006: BALTIMORE RAVENS (2) Defeated Chicago Bears 19-7 to win Super Bowl XLI.
2007: GREEN BAY PACKERS (4) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10 in overtime to win Super Bowl XLII.
2008: Pittsburgh Steelers (7) Defeated Arizona Cardinals 27-23 to win Super Bowl XLIII.
2009: GREEN BAY PACKERS (5) Defeated New England Patriots 47-0 to win Super Bowl XLIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the decade: AFC 6, NFC 4.
Super Bowl Standings to Date: NFC 24, AFC 20.
Notes:
1. The Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984.
2. Although they were once owned by former Browns owner Art Modell, according to the NFL the Baltimore Ravens are officially an expansion team that began play in 1996. The Browns were allowed to keep their history and records when Modell left town in 1995 and returned to action in 1999 under new ownership.
Next: We bring our Roll Call up to date by documenting 2010-2018.
Thoughts?
2000: Baltimore Ravens (1) Defeated New York Giants 34-7 to win Super Bowl XXXV.
2001: New England Patriots (1) Defeated St. Louis Rams 20-17 to win Super Bowl XXXVI.
2002: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1) Defeated Miami Dolphins 6-3 to win Super Bowl XXXVII.
2003: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1) Defeated Philadelphia Eagles 18-13 to win Super Bowl XXXVIII.
2004: PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6) Defeated Philadelphia Eagles 13-6 to win Super Bowl XXIX.
2005: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (1) Defeated New England Patriots 27-0 to win Super Bowl XL.
2006: BALTIMORE RAVENS (2) Defeated Chicago Bears 19-7 to win Super Bowl XLI.
2007: GREEN BAY PACKERS (4) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10 in overtime to win Super Bowl XLII.
2008: Pittsburgh Steelers (7) Defeated Arizona Cardinals 27-23 to win Super Bowl XLIII.
2009: GREEN BAY PACKERS (5) Defeated New England Patriots 47-0 to win Super Bowl XLIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the decade: AFC 6, NFC 4.
Super Bowl Standings to Date: NFC 24, AFC 20.
Notes:
1. The Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984.
2. Although they were once owned by former Browns owner Art Modell, according to the NFL the Baltimore Ravens are officially an expansion team that began play in 1996. The Browns were allowed to keep their history and records when Modell left town in 1995 and returned to action in 1999 under new ownership.
Next: We bring our Roll Call up to date by documenting 2010-2018.
Thoughts?
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Now let's document the 2010s. Different champions than in real life are in bold caps; different runners-up are in regular bold.
2010: Green Bay Packers (6) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to win Super Bowl XLV.
2011: PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8) Defeated New Orleans Saints 47-10 to win Super Bowl XLVI.
2012: Baltimore Ravens (3) Defeated San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to win Super Bowl XLVII.
2013: Seattle Seahawks (2) Defeated Denver Broncos 43-8 to win Super Bowl XLVIII.
2014: New England Patriots (2) Defeated Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win Super Bowl XLIX.
2015: CAROLINA PANTHERS (1) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17 in overtime to win Super Bowl 50.
2016: New England Patriots (3) Defeated Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime to win Super Bowl LI.
2017: Philadelphia Eagles (1) Defeated New England Patriots 41-33 to win Super Bowl LII.
2018: New England Patriots (4) Defeated Philadelphia Eagles 30-20 to win Super Bowl LIII.
2019: DALLAS COWBOYS (5) Defeated Kansas City Chiefs 31-20 to win Super Bowl LIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the Decade: AFC 5, NFC 5.
Super Bowl Standings to Date: NFC 28, AFC 25.
Site Notes:
1. I originally had Super Bowl LII at TCF Bank Stadium because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize U.S. Bank Stadium. After thinking it over, I decided to move the game back to U.S. Bank Stadium since I didn't have to sim it.
2. WhatIfSports doesn't recognize Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium; it still has the Falcons playing at the Georgia Dome, which has been destroyed. With no other building in Atlanta available to host Super Bowl LIII, I moved it to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, since the Eagles were the designated home team.
Coming after Super Bowl LIV: We examine the 2019 season,
Thoughts?
2010: Green Bay Packers (6) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to win Super Bowl XLV.
2011: PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8) Defeated New Orleans Saints 47-10 to win Super Bowl XLVI.
2012: Baltimore Ravens (3) Defeated San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to win Super Bowl XLVII.
2013: Seattle Seahawks (2) Defeated Denver Broncos 43-8 to win Super Bowl XLVIII.
2014: New England Patriots (2) Defeated Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win Super Bowl XLIX.
2015: CAROLINA PANTHERS (1) Defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17 in overtime to win Super Bowl 50.
2016: New England Patriots (3) Defeated Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime to win Super Bowl LI.
2017: Philadelphia Eagles (1) Defeated New England Patriots 41-33 to win Super Bowl LII.
2018: New England Patriots (4) Defeated Philadelphia Eagles 30-20 to win Super Bowl LIII.
2019: DALLAS COWBOYS (5) Defeated Kansas City Chiefs 31-20 to win Super Bowl LIV.
Super Bowl Standings for the Decade: AFC 5, NFC 5.
Super Bowl Standings to Date: NFC 28, AFC 25.
Site Notes:
1. I originally had Super Bowl LII at TCF Bank Stadium because WhatIfSports doesn't recognize U.S. Bank Stadium. After thinking it over, I decided to move the game back to U.S. Bank Stadium since I didn't have to sim it.
2. WhatIfSports doesn't recognize Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium; it still has the Falcons playing at the Georgia Dome, which has been destroyed. With no other building in Atlanta available to host Super Bowl LIII, I moved it to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, since the Eagles were the designated home team.
Coming after Super Bowl LIV: We examine the 2019 season,
Thoughts?
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A joke I didn't think about at the time, frantic calls to Dan Marino during Super Bowl XXXVII to see if he'll come out of retirment and if he can get to the stadium in an hour or so. 
Great joke, but it only works if Dan was actually at the game. If he was, I could see Al Michaels saying something about how much Dave Wannstedt wished Marino were on the field and not in the stands!
I'm just popping in briefly to say that there won't be an update after Super Bowl LIV. Just as football was my first priority for so long, so is baseball at the moment. I'm not sure exactly when the update will come (think months, not weeks) but I'm almost positive it will come before this time next year. In the meantime, be sure to check out my baseball timelines!
I'm going to do the standings for 2019 so we can get right into the sims when the time comes. We begin in the AFC East:
New England Patriots: 13-3 (+1)
Buffalo Bills: 10-6 (0)
New York Jets: 6-10 (-1)
Miami Dolphins: 4-12 (-1)
The only team to improve is the Pats, whose margin of victory over the second-place Bills is increased to three. Both the Jets and the Fins drop a game to maintain third place and the basement respectively.
Next, the North:
Baltimore Ravens: 13-3 (-1)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-8 (0)
Cleveland Browns: 7-9 (+1)
Cincinnati Bengals: 4-12 (+2)
The Ravens drop a game, but they still ride league MVP Lamar Jackson to a five-game romp over the second-place Steelers, who still manage to finish .500 without Big Ben Roethlisberger for much of the season. The last-place Bengals pick up a pair to make their season a tad more respectable, while the Browns' one-game improvement isn't enough to either make the playoffs or save the job of head coach Freddie Kitchens. Kevin Stefanski will take the reigns in Cleveland come 2020.
Now, the South:
Tennessee Titans: 10-6 (+1)
Houston Texans: 8-8 (-2)
Indianapolis Colts: 8-8 (+1)
Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-11 (-1)
We have our first title change of the season, as the real-life champion Texans shed a pair, which allows the Titans to ride their one-game improvement to the division crown. The Colts weather the surprise preseason retirement of quarterback Andrew Luck to improve by a game and finish tied for second with the Texans, while the last-place Jags fall off by one.
We go to the expected wins tiebreaker to settle the tie for second, and the Texans prevail, 7.8 to 7.7.
Finally, the West:
Kansas City Chiefs: 11-5 (-1)
Los Angeles Chargers: 8-8 (+3)
Denver Broncos: 7-9 (0)
Oakland Raiders: 5-11 (-2)
The Chiefs prevail by three games despite shedding one, but the biggest story here is the Bolts, who improve by an AFC-high three games to go from the basement to second place and a .500 season. The real-life tie for third between the Broncos and the Raiders is settled in favor of the Orange Crush, as they stay put while the Raiders say goodbye to Oakland for the second time by dropping two games and finishing dead last. The Silver and Black will be calling Las Vegas home in 2020.
Seeds:
1. Ravens (AFC North champs): 13-3
2. Patriots (AFC East champs): 13-3
3. Chiefs (AFC West champs): 11-5
4. Titans (AFC South champs): 10-6
5. Bills (AFC East second place): 10-6
6. Texans (AFC South second place; won four-way tiebreaker with Chargers, Colts, and Steelers): 8-8
The Ravens hold the expected wins tiebreaker for the one seed over the Patriots, 13.1 to 13.0.
There's a four-way tie for the second wild card spot among the Steelers, Texans, Colts, and Chargers. We go to the expected wins tiebreaker to settle it, and we find that the Texans and Chargers are still tied at 7.8, while the Colts finish third with 7.7 and the Steelers last with 7.6. Next is the head-to-head tiebreaker, which goes to the Texans since they beat the Chargers in Week 3 27-20. Therefore, the Texans are the six seed.
The Texans and Chiefs met in the second Wild Card Game on Saturday, January 4 at Arrowhead Stadium, and the Chiefs overcame a 24-0 first half deficit to prevail 51-31 and move on to the divisional round six days later in Foxbotough. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes fueled the comeback, completing twenty-three of his thirty-five passes for 321 yards and five touchdwns. He was also his team's leading rusher with fifty-three yards on seven carries. Tight end Travis Kelce caught three of Mahomes' touchdown tosses and finished with ten catches for 134 yards, while running back Damien Williams added forty-seven yards on twelve carries and scored two rushing touchdowns while also catching a touchdown pass. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins only caught two passes, but they totaled seventy-six yards. Tight end Blake Bell caught Mahomes' other touchdown pass.
The Kansas City defense sacked Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson four times, but he still completed thirty-one of his fifty-two passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins caught nine passes for 118 yards, while fellow wideout Will Fuller caught five balls for eighty-nine yards. Another wideout, Kenny Stills caught three passes for eighty yards, including a fifty-four yarder for the game's first touchdown. Carlos Hyde was the Texans' leading rusher with forty-four yards on thirteen carries, Watson carried six times for thirty-seven yards and a touchdown, and the Texans also scored when reserve cornerback Lonnie Johnson blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.
The other AFC Wild Card Game took place the day before at LP Field in Nashville, where the Titans hosted the Bills. Kickoff was scheduled for 4:35 PM on ABC, with Steve Levy and Brian Griese calling the action and Lisa Salters serving as the sideline reporter.
Note: I still can't write Joe and Booger, so I've decided to give the MNF B-team a shot at postseason glory.
Next: We look at the NFC.
Thoughts?
New England Patriots: 13-3 (+1)
Buffalo Bills: 10-6 (0)
New York Jets: 6-10 (-1)
Miami Dolphins: 4-12 (-1)
The only team to improve is the Pats, whose margin of victory over the second-place Bills is increased to three. Both the Jets and the Fins drop a game to maintain third place and the basement respectively.
Next, the North:
Baltimore Ravens: 13-3 (-1)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-8 (0)
Cleveland Browns: 7-9 (+1)
Cincinnati Bengals: 4-12 (+2)
The Ravens drop a game, but they still ride league MVP Lamar Jackson to a five-game romp over the second-place Steelers, who still manage to finish .500 without Big Ben Roethlisberger for much of the season. The last-place Bengals pick up a pair to make their season a tad more respectable, while the Browns' one-game improvement isn't enough to either make the playoffs or save the job of head coach Freddie Kitchens. Kevin Stefanski will take the reigns in Cleveland come 2020.
Now, the South:
Tennessee Titans: 10-6 (+1)
Houston Texans: 8-8 (-2)
Indianapolis Colts: 8-8 (+1)
Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-11 (-1)
We have our first title change of the season, as the real-life champion Texans shed a pair, which allows the Titans to ride their one-game improvement to the division crown. The Colts weather the surprise preseason retirement of quarterback Andrew Luck to improve by a game and finish tied for second with the Texans, while the last-place Jags fall off by one.
We go to the expected wins tiebreaker to settle the tie for second, and the Texans prevail, 7.8 to 7.7.
Finally, the West:
Kansas City Chiefs: 11-5 (-1)
Los Angeles Chargers: 8-8 (+3)
Denver Broncos: 7-9 (0)
Oakland Raiders: 5-11 (-2)
The Chiefs prevail by three games despite shedding one, but the biggest story here is the Bolts, who improve by an AFC-high three games to go from the basement to second place and a .500 season. The real-life tie for third between the Broncos and the Raiders is settled in favor of the Orange Crush, as they stay put while the Raiders say goodbye to Oakland for the second time by dropping two games and finishing dead last. The Silver and Black will be calling Las Vegas home in 2020.
Seeds:
1. Ravens (AFC North champs): 13-3
2. Patriots (AFC East champs): 13-3
3. Chiefs (AFC West champs): 11-5
4. Titans (AFC South champs): 10-6
5. Bills (AFC East second place): 10-6
6. Texans (AFC South second place; won four-way tiebreaker with Chargers, Colts, and Steelers): 8-8
The Ravens hold the expected wins tiebreaker for the one seed over the Patriots, 13.1 to 13.0.
There's a four-way tie for the second wild card spot among the Steelers, Texans, Colts, and Chargers. We go to the expected wins tiebreaker to settle it, and we find that the Texans and Chargers are still tied at 7.8, while the Colts finish third with 7.7 and the Steelers last with 7.6. Next is the head-to-head tiebreaker, which goes to the Texans since they beat the Chargers in Week 3 27-20. Therefore, the Texans are the six seed.
The Texans and Chiefs met in the second Wild Card Game on Saturday, January 4 at Arrowhead Stadium, and the Chiefs overcame a 24-0 first half deficit to prevail 51-31 and move on to the divisional round six days later in Foxbotough. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes fueled the comeback, completing twenty-three of his thirty-five passes for 321 yards and five touchdwns. He was also his team's leading rusher with fifty-three yards on seven carries. Tight end Travis Kelce caught three of Mahomes' touchdown tosses and finished with ten catches for 134 yards, while running back Damien Williams added forty-seven yards on twelve carries and scored two rushing touchdowns while also catching a touchdown pass. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins only caught two passes, but they totaled seventy-six yards. Tight end Blake Bell caught Mahomes' other touchdown pass.
The Kansas City defense sacked Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson four times, but he still completed thirty-one of his fifty-two passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins caught nine passes for 118 yards, while fellow wideout Will Fuller caught five balls for eighty-nine yards. Another wideout, Kenny Stills caught three passes for eighty yards, including a fifty-four yarder for the game's first touchdown. Carlos Hyde was the Texans' leading rusher with forty-four yards on thirteen carries, Watson carried six times for thirty-seven yards and a touchdown, and the Texans also scored when reserve cornerback Lonnie Johnson blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.
The other AFC Wild Card Game took place the day before at LP Field in Nashville, where the Titans hosted the Bills. Kickoff was scheduled for 4:35 PM on ABC, with Steve Levy and Brian Griese calling the action and Lisa Salters serving as the sideline reporter.
Note: I still can't write Joe and Booger, so I've decided to give the MNF B-team a shot at postseason glory.
Next: We look at the NFC.
Thoughts?
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Now let's look at the NFC. We begin in the East:
Dallas Cowboys: 11-5 (+3)
Philadelphia Eagles: 9-7 (0)
New York Giants: 5-11 (+1)
Washington Redskins: 4-12 (+1)
The Boys are the big story here, as they pull off a three-game uptick to move past the Eagles and take the division crown. There are still rumors of owner/general manager Jerry Jones' dissatisfaction with head coach Jason Garrett, however, and it's rumored that he'll have to take the Boys to at least the NFC Championship Game in order to keep his job. In other news, the Eagles stay where they are to hold down second, while the Giants and Redskins each improve by a game, but will have new coaches in 2020. Joe Judge will replace the deposed Pat Shurmur in East Rutherford, while Ron Rivera will move from the Panthers to the Redskins in place of both the fired Jay Gruden and interim coach Bill Callahan.
Next, the North:
Minnesota Vikings: 11-5 (+1)
Green Bay Packers: 10-6 (-3)
Chicago Bears: 7-9 (+1)
Detroit Lions: 6-10 (+3)
There's major change in the Northern air, as the Pack slides by three games and costs themselves the division title, which is rescued by their archrivals from Minnesota thanks to the Vikes' one-game improvement. The third-place Bears improve by one, while the Lions surge by three but still can't get out of the basement.
Now, the South:
New Orleans Saints: 11-5 (-2)
Atlanta Falcons: 8-8 ((+1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-8 (+1)
Carolina Panthers: 5-11 (0)
The Saints fall off by a pair, but still take the crown by three games over the Falcons and Bucs, who each improve by a game to maintain their real-life tie for second. The lat-place Panthers stand pat, which cost coach Ron Rivera his job after twelve games. Perry Fewell finished the season, and former Baylor University head coach Matt Rhule will be the new boss in Charlotte for the 2020 season.
Wo go to the expected wins tiebreaker to settle the tie for second, and the Bucs take it, 8.2 to 7.6.
Finally, the West:
San Francisco 49ers: 12-4 (-1)
Los Angeles Rams: 9-7 (0)
Seattle Seahawks: 8-8 (-3)
Arizona Cardinals: 6-10 (+1)
The Niners drop a game, but still enjoy a three-game victory over the Rams, who inherit second place due to the Hawks' three game drop. The last-place Cardinals add a game, but still finish with double-digit losses in the first year of the Kliff Kingsbury/Kyler Murray era.
Seeds:
1. 49ers (NFC West champs): 12-4
2. Saints (NFC South champs): 11-5
3. Vikings (NFC North champs): 11-5
4. Cowboys (NFC East champs): 11-5
5. Packers (NFC North second place): 10-6
6. Eagles (NFC East second place; won tiebreaker with Rams): 9-7
There are two ties to break here. The simplest one is between the Rams and the Eagles for the six seed. We go to the expected wins tiebreaker, which is won by the Eagles in an 8.8 to 8.7 squeaker.
The other tie we have to settle is the three-way deadlock among the Cowboys, Saints, and Vikings for the second seed. The expected wins tiebreaker is no help, as all three teams finish at 10.7. The Saints didn't play the Vikings in the regular season, so the head-to-head tiebreaker is invalid. Next we go to conference record. The Cowboys and Vikings each finish 7-5, while the Saints finish 9-3. This means that the Saints are the two seed, while the Cowboys and Vikings remain deadlocked for the three seed. The head-to-head tiebreaker comes back into play, and the Vikings beat the Cowboys 28-24 in Week 10. The Vikings are thus the three seed, while the Cowboys are the four seed.
Here's the NFC Wild Card Weekend schedule. Both games will take place on Sunday, January 5. All times are Eastern:
Eagles-Vikings, 1:05 PM, Fox- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews (sideline reporter), Chris Myers (sideline reporter)
Packers-Cowboys, 4:40 PM, NBC- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
Note: WhatIfSports still doesn't have U.S. Bank Stadium in its databank, so the Vikings will play all of their home playoff games outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium.
Next: We begin the 2019 playoffs.
Thoughts?
Dallas Cowboys: 11-5 (+3)
Philadelphia Eagles: 9-7 (0)
New York Giants: 5-11 (+1)
Washington Redskins: 4-12 (+1)
The Boys are the big story here, as they pull off a three-game uptick to move past the Eagles and take the division crown. There are still rumors of owner/general manager Jerry Jones' dissatisfaction with head coach Jason Garrett, however, and it's rumored that he'll have to take the Boys to at least the NFC Championship Game in order to keep his job. In other news, the Eagles stay where they are to hold down second, while the Giants and Redskins each improve by a game, but will have new coaches in 2020. Joe Judge will replace the deposed Pat Shurmur in East Rutherford, while Ron Rivera will move from the Panthers to the Redskins in place of both the fired Jay Gruden and interim coach Bill Callahan.
Next, the North:
Minnesota Vikings: 11-5 (+1)
Green Bay Packers: 10-6 (-3)
Chicago Bears: 7-9 (+1)
Detroit Lions: 6-10 (+3)
There's major change in the Northern air, as the Pack slides by three games and costs themselves the division title, which is rescued by their archrivals from Minnesota thanks to the Vikes' one-game improvement. The third-place Bears improve by one, while the Lions surge by three but still can't get out of the basement.
Now, the South:
New Orleans Saints: 11-5 (-2)
Atlanta Falcons: 8-8 ((+1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-8 (+1)
Carolina Panthers: 5-11 (0)
The Saints fall off by a pair, but still take the crown by three games over the Falcons and Bucs, who each improve by a game to maintain their real-life tie for second. The lat-place Panthers stand pat, which cost coach Ron Rivera his job after twelve games. Perry Fewell finished the season, and former Baylor University head coach Matt Rhule will be the new boss in Charlotte for the 2020 season.
Wo go to the expected wins tiebreaker to settle the tie for second, and the Bucs take it, 8.2 to 7.6.
Finally, the West:
San Francisco 49ers: 12-4 (-1)
Los Angeles Rams: 9-7 (0)
Seattle Seahawks: 8-8 (-3)
Arizona Cardinals: 6-10 (+1)
The Niners drop a game, but still enjoy a three-game victory over the Rams, who inherit second place due to the Hawks' three game drop. The last-place Cardinals add a game, but still finish with double-digit losses in the first year of the Kliff Kingsbury/Kyler Murray era.
Seeds:
1. 49ers (NFC West champs): 12-4
2. Saints (NFC South champs): 11-5
3. Vikings (NFC North champs): 11-5
4. Cowboys (NFC East champs): 11-5
5. Packers (NFC North second place): 10-6
6. Eagles (NFC East second place; won tiebreaker with Rams): 9-7
There are two ties to break here. The simplest one is between the Rams and the Eagles for the six seed. We go to the expected wins tiebreaker, which is won by the Eagles in an 8.8 to 8.7 squeaker.
The other tie we have to settle is the three-way deadlock among the Cowboys, Saints, and Vikings for the second seed. The expected wins tiebreaker is no help, as all three teams finish at 10.7. The Saints didn't play the Vikings in the regular season, so the head-to-head tiebreaker is invalid. Next we go to conference record. The Cowboys and Vikings each finish 7-5, while the Saints finish 9-3. This means that the Saints are the two seed, while the Cowboys and Vikings remain deadlocked for the three seed. The head-to-head tiebreaker comes back into play, and the Vikings beat the Cowboys 28-24 in Week 10. The Vikings are thus the three seed, while the Cowboys are the four seed.
Here's the NFC Wild Card Weekend schedule. Both games will take place on Sunday, January 5. All times are Eastern:
Eagles-Vikings, 1:05 PM, Fox- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews (sideline reporter), Chris Myers (sideline reporter)
Packers-Cowboys, 4:40 PM, NBC- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
Note: WhatIfSports still doesn't have U.S. Bank Stadium in its databank, so the Vikings will play all of their home playoff games outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium.
Next: We begin the 2019 playoffs.
Thoughts?
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Now it's time for the first 2019 AFC Wild Card Game from LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee. Game time temperature is 40 degrees, with cloudy skies and north-northwest winds at 15 MPH gusting to 25 MPH. Wind chill at kickoff is 29 degrees.
The first points of the game were scored late in the second quarter. Bills quarterback Josh Allen took his team on an eleven-play, eighty-two yard drive to paydirt, completing passes of ten and thirteen yards to running back Devin Singletary, nineteen yards to reserve wideout Duke Williams, and fifteen yards to fellow wideout John Brown. The completion to Brown gave the Bills a first and goal at the Titans' one-yard line, and Allen finished the drive by flipping the ball to tight end Dawson Knox in the end zone for the touchdown. Kicker Steven Hauschka missed the extra point, but the Bills still led 6-0 with 2:47 left in the first half.
The visitors increased heir lead in the waning seconds of the half after Titans punter Brett Kern couldn't handle a punt snap deep in his own territory. The Bills were gifted with a first down at the Tennessee eleven-yard line, and a pair of Singletary runs put the ball at the two with time for one more play. Bills coach Sean McDermott decided to pass up an easy field goal in favor of a touchdown, and future Hall of Fame running back Frank Gore banged off right tackle and into the end zone with no time left. Hauschka added the extra point, and the Bills took a 13-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The third quarter was also scoreless. The Bills added to their lead early in the final period after Andre Roberts returned a Kern punt to his own forty-nine. The key play of the drive was Singletary's sixteen-yard scamper on a pitch to the right that gave the Bills a first down at the Titans' twenty-four. The drive stalled at the seventeen, but Hauschka converted a thirty-four yard field goal attempt to extend the Bills' lead to 16-0 with 11:49 left in regulation.
The Bills added one last field goal on their next possession. Another punt return by Roberts set the Bills' offense up at the Titans' thirty-seven, and Allen made the play of the drive when he faced a third and eighteen from his own forty-five. Braving a fierce Titans rush, he found wide receiver Cole Beasley over the middle for twenty-nine yards and a first down at the Tennessee thirty-seven. The drive got as far as the thirteen before Allen was sacked for a six-yard loss by reserve linebacker Sharif Finch. This left a thirty-six yard attempt for Hauschka, and he booted it through to establish our final score: Bills 19, Titans 0.
Despite rather pedestrian statistics, Allen was named Player of the Game by the MNF crew. He completed fourteen of his twenty-eight passes for 201 yards with a touchdown and also scrambled for twenty-six yards on eight carries. Singletary was the leading rusher for the Bills, finishing with sixty-two yards on twelve carries. Beasley was the leading receiver for Buffalo with sixty-one yards on three catches, and Brown added fifty-seven yards on three more catches. The Bills' defense sacked Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill six times, with middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds recording a pair.
For the Titans, Tannehill finished fourteen of thirty-two for 182 yards. Wide receiver Tajae Sharpe led all receivers with eighty-four yards on four catches, and running back Derrick Henry led the ground game with seventy-one yards on twenty-one carries. The Titans' defense sacked Allen six times, with reserve linebacker Kamalei Correa and starting linebacker Harold Landry each recording a pair.
The Bills will now face the Baltimore Ravens in the first AFC Divisional Playoff next Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 PM Eastern, with Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts calling the action. Evan Washburn will be the sideline reporter.
Next: To be determined.
Thoughts?
The first points of the game were scored late in the second quarter. Bills quarterback Josh Allen took his team on an eleven-play, eighty-two yard drive to paydirt, completing passes of ten and thirteen yards to running back Devin Singletary, nineteen yards to reserve wideout Duke Williams, and fifteen yards to fellow wideout John Brown. The completion to Brown gave the Bills a first and goal at the Titans' one-yard line, and Allen finished the drive by flipping the ball to tight end Dawson Knox in the end zone for the touchdown. Kicker Steven Hauschka missed the extra point, but the Bills still led 6-0 with 2:47 left in the first half.
The visitors increased heir lead in the waning seconds of the half after Titans punter Brett Kern couldn't handle a punt snap deep in his own territory. The Bills were gifted with a first down at the Tennessee eleven-yard line, and a pair of Singletary runs put the ball at the two with time for one more play. Bills coach Sean McDermott decided to pass up an easy field goal in favor of a touchdown, and future Hall of Fame running back Frank Gore banged off right tackle and into the end zone with no time left. Hauschka added the extra point, and the Bills took a 13-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The third quarter was also scoreless. The Bills added to their lead early in the final period after Andre Roberts returned a Kern punt to his own forty-nine. The key play of the drive was Singletary's sixteen-yard scamper on a pitch to the right that gave the Bills a first down at the Titans' twenty-four. The drive stalled at the seventeen, but Hauschka converted a thirty-four yard field goal attempt to extend the Bills' lead to 16-0 with 11:49 left in regulation.
The Bills added one last field goal on their next possession. Another punt return by Roberts set the Bills' offense up at the Titans' thirty-seven, and Allen made the play of the drive when he faced a third and eighteen from his own forty-five. Braving a fierce Titans rush, he found wide receiver Cole Beasley over the middle for twenty-nine yards and a first down at the Tennessee thirty-seven. The drive got as far as the thirteen before Allen was sacked for a six-yard loss by reserve linebacker Sharif Finch. This left a thirty-six yard attempt for Hauschka, and he booted it through to establish our final score: Bills 19, Titans 0.
Despite rather pedestrian statistics, Allen was named Player of the Game by the MNF crew. He completed fourteen of his twenty-eight passes for 201 yards with a touchdown and also scrambled for twenty-six yards on eight carries. Singletary was the leading rusher for the Bills, finishing with sixty-two yards on twelve carries. Beasley was the leading receiver for Buffalo with sixty-one yards on three catches, and Brown added fifty-seven yards on three more catches. The Bills' defense sacked Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill six times, with middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds recording a pair.
For the Titans, Tannehill finished fourteen of thirty-two for 182 yards. Wide receiver Tajae Sharpe led all receivers with eighty-four yards on four catches, and running back Derrick Henry led the ground game with seventy-one yards on twenty-one carries. The Titans' defense sacked Allen six times, with reserve linebacker Kamalei Correa and starting linebacker Harold Landry each recording a pair.
The Bills will now face the Baltimore Ravens in the first AFC Divisional Playoff next Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 PM Eastern, with Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts calling the action. Evan Washburn will be the sideline reporter.
Next: To be determined.
Thoughts?
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This thread needs some serious overhauling to the threadmarks to make it more organize. Especially since you have 2005 season posts intermixed with 2013-14 posts.
There are no threadmarks to organize; I didn't know how to use them when I started the thread, and I only bungled into a few through errors in typing. Now that I know what they are, I still don't use them. I'm not really concerned about how organized the thread is chronologically; I just want to write what I feel like writing on a daily basis. Most of the time it's chronologically consistent, but sometimes it's not, and that's my choice. I have one of the few threads on this board whose premise doesn't need to be told starting at the beginning and finishing at the end, and I find it rather liberating.
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I'm afraid that my return is going to be short-lived. Lower back issues have become too much for me to work through, so I'm stepping away from the board indefinitely rather than rush through the thread just to get it finished. This applies to my baseball timeline as well. I don't need help from anyone, just time to feel better and get back to doing these timelines the way I feel they should be done.
I'm going to say goodbye as if this was for good, but I sincerely hope it isn't. Take care and thanks for reading!
I'm going to say goodbye as if this was for good, but I sincerely hope it isn't. Take care and thanks for reading!
Now it's time for the first 2019 AFC Divisional Playoff from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Game time temperature is 70 degrees, with cloudy skies and a south-southwest wind at 13 MPH gusting to 21 MPH.
The Ravens scored the only points of the first quarter. Their opportunity came after Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka hooked a forty-four yard field goal attempt wide left. Quarterback Lamar Jackson immediately hit wideout Willie Snead for twenty-four yards and a first down at the Buffalo thirty-four, then followed that up with a twelve-yard scramble for a first down. Back-to-back sacks moved the ball back to the thirty, which gave kicker Justin Tucker a forty-seven yard field goal attempt. The kick split the uprights, and the Ravens led 3-0 after one.
The Bills evened things up early in the second quarter, as quarterback Josh Allen showed off his own scrambling skills. He ran for gains of fifteen, eighteen, and twelve on consecutive plays, which gave the Bills a first down at the Baltimore thirty-one. The drive reached the twenty-three before a false start penalty cost the Bells five yards and set up a forty-five yard attempt for Hauschka. The kick was good, and we were tied at three with 6:02 left before halftime.
The Ravens scored the game's first touchdown just before the half. Running back Gus Edwards picked up sixteen yards on a draw play, and Jackson found wide receiver Seth Roberts over the middle for nineteen yards and a first down at the Bills' twenty-four. On second and two from the sixteen, the Baltimore offensive line opened a huge hole for Jackson, which the soon-to-be league MVP wasted no time zooming through, He made it to the end zone with ease, and Tucker added the extra point to give the Birds a 10-3 halftime lead.
The Ravens added another touchdown midway through the third quarter. DeAnthony Thomas' punt return set them up at the Bills' forty-six, and on the first play from scrimmage. Edwards streaked down the sideline and into the end zone for an apparent touchdown. After further review, it was determined that Edwards had stepped out of bounds at the five. Two plays later, fellow running back Mark Ingram bounced off left tackle and into the end zone for the score. Tucker's extra point extended the Baltimore lead to 17-3 with 6:52 left in the third period.
The Bills came right back with a touchdown of their own to tie the game. Running back Devin Singletary picked up eleven yards on a sweep around left end, and a forty-seven yard catch-and-run by wide receiver John Brown gave the Bills a first and goal at the Ravens' ten. On third and goal from the four, Gore took a pitchout from Allen and raced around the right side and into the end zone for the score. Hauschka's extra point was good, and after three quarters it was Baltimore 17, Buffalo 10.
The Ravens extended their lead early in the fourth quarter. Thomas' punt return set the Ravens up at the Buffalo forty-two. As we join Ian Eagle of CBS, it's second and seven at the thirty-nine:
"Jackson hasn't thrown a lot because of the harsh winds tonight, but this could be a passing down. The Bills defense is playing run, which is understandable since they've been gashed all night long. From the gun......Jackson takes a look, then takes off. Thirty-five, thirty, twenty-five, and it's a footrace! Jackson to the fifteen, has only one man to beat, and HE WILL SCORE! TOUCHDOWN BALTIMORE!........The Bills knew it was coming, the same way it's been coming all night, but they still couldn't stop it, Dan."
Dan Fouts: "He's just too fast for them, Ian. They're ready to tackle him from the moment he takes the snap, but he eludes......one, two, three, four different defenders, then breaks into the clear. Now he's gone down the sideline, but he manages to stay in bounds, unlike Gus Edwards earlier. This one still has eight and a half minutes left, but the Bills' task just got a lot tougher.
Tucker added the extra point, and the Ravens now led 24-10.
The Bills responded with a drive of their own. Allen was seven for eight passing for sixty-eight yards on the march, with key throws to wideout Cole Beasley for gains of ten and eleven, tight end Dawson Knox for eleven, Brown for twelve, and fellow wideout Isaiah McKenzie for nineteen. On first and goal from the five, Gore bulled his way up the middle for his second touchdown of the game. Hauschka added the extra point, and the Bills were within 24-17 with less than three minutes remaining.
The Bills and Ravens exchanged punts, and the Bills started their last-chance drive at the Baltimore thirty-seven with less than a minute to play. As we rejoin Ian, it's third and twelve from the thirty-five:
"One timeout left for Buffalo, and they need a touchdown. A first down here would mean a better chance for Allen to throw into the end zone. From the shotgun, with an empty backfield. Allen takes the snap. now scrambling, he has to get rid of it.......tipped......AND CAUGHT BY MCKENZIE! NOBODY NEAR HIM, AND HE'LL GO ALL THE WAY FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!.........This stadium is in shock, as the Bills are just an extra point away from tying a game that the Ravens have controlled from the start."
Fouts: "This was Chuck Clark's fault, Ian. He tries for the interception;, in fact it seems like he was trying to tip the ball to himself to make sure he came up with it. But the ball ends up in McKenzie's arms instead, and there's nobody left to try to tackle him. That's the danger of the prevent defense; once you start giving up yardage, sometimes you end up giving up a bigger play than you intend to, and now the Bills are just an extra point away from overtime."
Hauschka added the extra point, and regulation ended with the game tied at twenty-four.
Neither team could do much in the overtime until the Bills got the ball with forty-five seconds left at their own fifteen. Allen connected with Brown for gains of thirteen and sixteen, Singletary out of the backfield for twelve, and Knox for eleven. An incompletion stopped the clock with three seconds left, and McDermott sent Hauschka out to try and win the game with a fifty-yard field goal. Here's Ian:
"A miss here would give Jackson and the Ravens nice field position to start the second overtime, while a make would send the Bills to their first AFC Championship Game since 2004. Hauschka's made from forty-six and missed from forty-four tonight. Now from fifty for the win........snap is down, hold is good, kick is.......GOOD! The Buffalo Bills have pulled the upset here in Baltimore, and they'll face either the Chiefs or the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game next Sunday."
Fouts: "What a great comeback win for the Bills. They were down by two touchdowns after being outplayed all night, but still managed to force overtime, then get the win. Lamar Jackson gets a lot of hype for his physical talent, and he deserves t. But now maybe some people will give Josh Allen the respect he deserves as a quarterback and leader. The Bills have been looking for Jim Kelly's replacement ever since he retired, and for my money they've found him."
Allen was named Player of the Game by CBS. He finished twenty of thirty-three passing for 285 yards and a touchdown, and also gained forty-six yards on six carries. Jackson gained a hundred and eleven yards on thirteen carries with two touchdowns, but only completed six of his fifteen passes for seventy-one yards. Ingram also rushed for a hundred and eleven yards on eighteen carries with a touchdown, while Edwards added a hundred and three yards on eleven carries. Overall, the Ravens racked up three hundred and sixty-one rushing yards on forty-nine attempts with three touchdowns. Snead's catch for twenty-four yards made him the Ravens leading receiver. Gore led the Bills with sixty-six yards on twelve carries and a pair of touchdowns. Brown led the receiving corps with six catches for a hundred and one yards, while McKenzie caught three passes for eighty-six yards and a touchdown. Each defense sacked the opposing quarterback five times, with linebacker Matt Judon having a pair for the Ravens.
The Bills will take on the winner of tomorrow's Chiefs-Patriots game in next week's AFC Championship. Kickoff is scheduled for shortly after 1PM Eastern, with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo on the call for CBS. Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely will serve as sideline reporters.
Next: The Pats host the Chiefs.
Thoughts?
The Ravens scored the only points of the first quarter. Their opportunity came after Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka hooked a forty-four yard field goal attempt wide left. Quarterback Lamar Jackson immediately hit wideout Willie Snead for twenty-four yards and a first down at the Buffalo thirty-four, then followed that up with a twelve-yard scramble for a first down. Back-to-back sacks moved the ball back to the thirty, which gave kicker Justin Tucker a forty-seven yard field goal attempt. The kick split the uprights, and the Ravens led 3-0 after one.
The Bills evened things up early in the second quarter, as quarterback Josh Allen showed off his own scrambling skills. He ran for gains of fifteen, eighteen, and twelve on consecutive plays, which gave the Bills a first down at the Baltimore thirty-one. The drive reached the twenty-three before a false start penalty cost the Bells five yards and set up a forty-five yard attempt for Hauschka. The kick was good, and we were tied at three with 6:02 left before halftime.
The Ravens scored the game's first touchdown just before the half. Running back Gus Edwards picked up sixteen yards on a draw play, and Jackson found wide receiver Seth Roberts over the middle for nineteen yards and a first down at the Bills' twenty-four. On second and two from the sixteen, the Baltimore offensive line opened a huge hole for Jackson, which the soon-to-be league MVP wasted no time zooming through, He made it to the end zone with ease, and Tucker added the extra point to give the Birds a 10-3 halftime lead.
The Ravens added another touchdown midway through the third quarter. DeAnthony Thomas' punt return set them up at the Bills' forty-six, and on the first play from scrimmage. Edwards streaked down the sideline and into the end zone for an apparent touchdown. After further review, it was determined that Edwards had stepped out of bounds at the five. Two plays later, fellow running back Mark Ingram bounced off left tackle and into the end zone for the score. Tucker's extra point extended the Baltimore lead to 17-3 with 6:52 left in the third period.
The Bills came right back with a touchdown of their own to tie the game. Running back Devin Singletary picked up eleven yards on a sweep around left end, and a forty-seven yard catch-and-run by wide receiver John Brown gave the Bills a first and goal at the Ravens' ten. On third and goal from the four, Gore took a pitchout from Allen and raced around the right side and into the end zone for the score. Hauschka's extra point was good, and after three quarters it was Baltimore 17, Buffalo 10.
The Ravens extended their lead early in the fourth quarter. Thomas' punt return set the Ravens up at the Buffalo forty-two. As we join Ian Eagle of CBS, it's second and seven at the thirty-nine:
"Jackson hasn't thrown a lot because of the harsh winds tonight, but this could be a passing down. The Bills defense is playing run, which is understandable since they've been gashed all night long. From the gun......Jackson takes a look, then takes off. Thirty-five, thirty, twenty-five, and it's a footrace! Jackson to the fifteen, has only one man to beat, and HE WILL SCORE! TOUCHDOWN BALTIMORE!........The Bills knew it was coming, the same way it's been coming all night, but they still couldn't stop it, Dan."
Dan Fouts: "He's just too fast for them, Ian. They're ready to tackle him from the moment he takes the snap, but he eludes......one, two, three, four different defenders, then breaks into the clear. Now he's gone down the sideline, but he manages to stay in bounds, unlike Gus Edwards earlier. This one still has eight and a half minutes left, but the Bills' task just got a lot tougher.
Tucker added the extra point, and the Ravens now led 24-10.
The Bills responded with a drive of their own. Allen was seven for eight passing for sixty-eight yards on the march, with key throws to wideout Cole Beasley for gains of ten and eleven, tight end Dawson Knox for eleven, Brown for twelve, and fellow wideout Isaiah McKenzie for nineteen. On first and goal from the five, Gore bulled his way up the middle for his second touchdown of the game. Hauschka added the extra point, and the Bills were within 24-17 with less than three minutes remaining.
The Bills and Ravens exchanged punts, and the Bills started their last-chance drive at the Baltimore thirty-seven with less than a minute to play. As we rejoin Ian, it's third and twelve from the thirty-five:
"One timeout left for Buffalo, and they need a touchdown. A first down here would mean a better chance for Allen to throw into the end zone. From the shotgun, with an empty backfield. Allen takes the snap. now scrambling, he has to get rid of it.......tipped......AND CAUGHT BY MCKENZIE! NOBODY NEAR HIM, AND HE'LL GO ALL THE WAY FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!.........This stadium is in shock, as the Bills are just an extra point away from tying a game that the Ravens have controlled from the start."
Fouts: "This was Chuck Clark's fault, Ian. He tries for the interception;, in fact it seems like he was trying to tip the ball to himself to make sure he came up with it. But the ball ends up in McKenzie's arms instead, and there's nobody left to try to tackle him. That's the danger of the prevent defense; once you start giving up yardage, sometimes you end up giving up a bigger play than you intend to, and now the Bills are just an extra point away from overtime."
Hauschka added the extra point, and regulation ended with the game tied at twenty-four.
Neither team could do much in the overtime until the Bills got the ball with forty-five seconds left at their own fifteen. Allen connected with Brown for gains of thirteen and sixteen, Singletary out of the backfield for twelve, and Knox for eleven. An incompletion stopped the clock with three seconds left, and McDermott sent Hauschka out to try and win the game with a fifty-yard field goal. Here's Ian:
"A miss here would give Jackson and the Ravens nice field position to start the second overtime, while a make would send the Bills to their first AFC Championship Game since 2004. Hauschka's made from forty-six and missed from forty-four tonight. Now from fifty for the win........snap is down, hold is good, kick is.......GOOD! The Buffalo Bills have pulled the upset here in Baltimore, and they'll face either the Chiefs or the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game next Sunday."
Fouts: "What a great comeback win for the Bills. They were down by two touchdowns after being outplayed all night, but still managed to force overtime, then get the win. Lamar Jackson gets a lot of hype for his physical talent, and he deserves t. But now maybe some people will give Josh Allen the respect he deserves as a quarterback and leader. The Bills have been looking for Jim Kelly's replacement ever since he retired, and for my money they've found him."
Allen was named Player of the Game by CBS. He finished twenty of thirty-three passing for 285 yards and a touchdown, and also gained forty-six yards on six carries. Jackson gained a hundred and eleven yards on thirteen carries with two touchdowns, but only completed six of his fifteen passes for seventy-one yards. Ingram also rushed for a hundred and eleven yards on eighteen carries with a touchdown, while Edwards added a hundred and three yards on eleven carries. Overall, the Ravens racked up three hundred and sixty-one rushing yards on forty-nine attempts with three touchdowns. Snead's catch for twenty-four yards made him the Ravens leading receiver. Gore led the Bills with sixty-six yards on twelve carries and a pair of touchdowns. Brown led the receiving corps with six catches for a hundred and one yards, while McKenzie caught three passes for eighty-six yards and a touchdown. Each defense sacked the opposing quarterback five times, with linebacker Matt Judon having a pair for the Ravens.
The Bills will take on the winner of tomorrow's Chiefs-Patriots game in next week's AFC Championship. Kickoff is scheduled for shortly after 1PM Eastern, with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo on the call for CBS. Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely will serve as sideline reporters.
Next: The Pats host the Chiefs.
Thoughts?
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Now it's time for the second 2019 NFC Wild Card Game from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas:
The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and scored first. Quarterback Dak Prescott completed passes of thirteen yards to wide receivers Randall Cobb (a former Packer) and Tavon Austin to set up a first and goal from the Green Bay two-yard line. From there, Prescott found another receiver, Amari Cooper for the touchdown. Kai Forbath added the extra point, and with 10:48 left in the opening quarter the Cowboys led 7-0.
The Packers responded on the first play of their next drive, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers went up top to wide receiver Davante Adams, who made the catch and broke a tackle before being brought down at the Dallas fifteen. A sack for a five-yard loss killed the Pack's forward momentum, but te managed to get back to the sixteen, which meant a thirty-three yard field goal attempt for kicker Mason Crosby, who boted it through to cut the Dallas lead to 7-3 with 8:12 left in the opening period.
The Boys got the field goal back on their next possession. Prescott found Cobb for twelve yards, fellow wideout Michael Gallup for fourteen, and tight end Jason Witten over the middle for eleven. The drive stalled at the Green Bay twenty-seven, but Forbath was good from forty-four yards out to give the Cowboys a 10-3 lead after one quarter of play.
The Packers scored the only points of the second quarter. Running back Aaron Jones provided most of the offense, gashing the middle of the Dallas defense with runs on nineteen and seventeen yards. A ten-yard pass from Rodgers to Adams gave the Pack a first and goal at the Dallas four, and from there Rodgers found tight end Marcedes Lewis for the touchdown. Crosby added the extra point, and the teams went to the locker room tied at ten.
The Pack came out firing in the second half, as running back Jamaal Williams took a dumpoff from Rodgers, broke two tackles, then found the sideline and streaked all the way down to the Dallas fifteen, a gain of sixty-four yards. A sack by Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith pushed the offense back five yards, but on third and eleven from the Dallas sixteen Rodgers found wide-open receiver Geronimo Allison for the touchdown. Crosby's extra point gave the Packers a 17-10 lead with 9:16 to play in the third quarter.
The Cowboys tied the game toward the end of the period. The key play was Prescott's thirty-yard pass to Cooper, who made a one-handed catch before tumbling out of bounds at the Green Bay thirteen. The call withstood a challenge by Packers coach Matt LaFleur, and two plays later from the seven Prescott found Gallup for the tying touchdown. Forbath's extra point meant that we went to the final quarter tied at seventeen.
The Boys' winning touchdown came midway through the final period. Prescott went six for seven on the drive, with key passes to Cobb for twenty-three, Cooper for fifteen, and reserve running back Tony Pollard for eleven. The Boys also caught a break when Packers linebacker Preston Smith pulled running back Ezekiel Elliott down by his facemask, which turned a stop for no gain into a fifteen-yard penalty and an automatic first down at the Packer six. From there, Prescott found veteran tight end Jason Witten for what turned out to be the winning touchdown. Forbath's extra point established the final score: Cowboys 24, Packers 17.
Prescott was named MVP by the Sunday Night Football crew, and deservedly so. He completed twenty-four of his twenty-eight passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Cooper led the receivers with five catches for eighty yards and a touchdown, while Cobb caught five passes for seventy-five yards and Gallup five more for forty-five yards and a score. Elliott was held to fifty-eight yards on twenty carries, but caught four passes for twenty-three yards. Pollard added fifty-three yards on nine carries. On defense, Smith finished with nine tackles and a sack.
For Green Bay, Rodgers finished eighteen of twenty-five for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Adams was his leading receiver with six catches for seventy-nine yards, while Williams finished with three catches for seventy-six yards. Jones led the rushing attack with sixty-three yards on eleven carries; his teammates could only combine for twelve yards on twelve carries. On defense, inside linebacker Blake Martinez finished with ten tackles. The Cowboys sacked Rodgers three times, while Prescott wasn't sacked at all by the Packers.
The Cowboys' next opponent will depend on who won the other NFC Wild Card Game earlier today in Minneapolis. If the Vikings won, the Boys will face the San Francisco 49ers next Saturday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. If the Eagles won, the Boys will face the New Orleans Saints next Sunday afternoon at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome,
Next: To be determined.
Thoughts?
The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and scored first. Quarterback Dak Prescott completed passes of thirteen yards to wide receivers Randall Cobb (a former Packer) and Tavon Austin to set up a first and goal from the Green Bay two-yard line. From there, Prescott found another receiver, Amari Cooper for the touchdown. Kai Forbath added the extra point, and with 10:48 left in the opening quarter the Cowboys led 7-0.
The Packers responded on the first play of their next drive, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers went up top to wide receiver Davante Adams, who made the catch and broke a tackle before being brought down at the Dallas fifteen. A sack for a five-yard loss killed the Pack's forward momentum, but te managed to get back to the sixteen, which meant a thirty-three yard field goal attempt for kicker Mason Crosby, who boted it through to cut the Dallas lead to 7-3 with 8:12 left in the opening period.
The Boys got the field goal back on their next possession. Prescott found Cobb for twelve yards, fellow wideout Michael Gallup for fourteen, and tight end Jason Witten over the middle for eleven. The drive stalled at the Green Bay twenty-seven, but Forbath was good from forty-four yards out to give the Cowboys a 10-3 lead after one quarter of play.
The Packers scored the only points of the second quarter. Running back Aaron Jones provided most of the offense, gashing the middle of the Dallas defense with runs on nineteen and seventeen yards. A ten-yard pass from Rodgers to Adams gave the Pack a first and goal at the Dallas four, and from there Rodgers found tight end Marcedes Lewis for the touchdown. Crosby added the extra point, and the teams went to the locker room tied at ten.
The Pack came out firing in the second half, as running back Jamaal Williams took a dumpoff from Rodgers, broke two tackles, then found the sideline and streaked all the way down to the Dallas fifteen, a gain of sixty-four yards. A sack by Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith pushed the offense back five yards, but on third and eleven from the Dallas sixteen Rodgers found wide-open receiver Geronimo Allison for the touchdown. Crosby's extra point gave the Packers a 17-10 lead with 9:16 to play in the third quarter.
The Cowboys tied the game toward the end of the period. The key play was Prescott's thirty-yard pass to Cooper, who made a one-handed catch before tumbling out of bounds at the Green Bay thirteen. The call withstood a challenge by Packers coach Matt LaFleur, and two plays later from the seven Prescott found Gallup for the tying touchdown. Forbath's extra point meant that we went to the final quarter tied at seventeen.
The Boys' winning touchdown came midway through the final period. Prescott went six for seven on the drive, with key passes to Cobb for twenty-three, Cooper for fifteen, and reserve running back Tony Pollard for eleven. The Boys also caught a break when Packers linebacker Preston Smith pulled running back Ezekiel Elliott down by his facemask, which turned a stop for no gain into a fifteen-yard penalty and an automatic first down at the Packer six. From there, Prescott found veteran tight end Jason Witten for what turned out to be the winning touchdown. Forbath's extra point established the final score: Cowboys 24, Packers 17.
Prescott was named MVP by the Sunday Night Football crew, and deservedly so. He completed twenty-four of his twenty-eight passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Cooper led the receivers with five catches for eighty yards and a touchdown, while Cobb caught five passes for seventy-five yards and Gallup five more for forty-five yards and a score. Elliott was held to fifty-eight yards on twenty carries, but caught four passes for twenty-three yards. Pollard added fifty-three yards on nine carries. On defense, Smith finished with nine tackles and a sack.
For Green Bay, Rodgers finished eighteen of twenty-five for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Adams was his leading receiver with six catches for seventy-nine yards, while Williams finished with three catches for seventy-six yards. Jones led the rushing attack with sixty-three yards on eleven carries; his teammates could only combine for twelve yards on twelve carries. On defense, inside linebacker Blake Martinez finished with ten tackles. The Cowboys sacked Rodgers three times, while Prescott wasn't sacked at all by the Packers.
The Cowboys' next opponent will depend on who won the other NFC Wild Card Game earlier today in Minneapolis. If the Vikings won, the Boys will face the San Francisco 49ers next Saturday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. If the Eagles won, the Boys will face the New Orleans Saints next Sunday afternoon at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome,
Next: To be determined.
Thoughts?
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