These are my results on this week's
Playoff Machine.......
Seeds Denver (15-2) & San Fran (13-4)
1st round
#7 LAC (11-6) vs #2 NEngland (14-3)
#6 Jax (12-5) vs # 3 Hou (12-5)
#5 Buff (13-4) vs # 4 Pitt (10-7)
#7 GB (11-5-1) vs #2 Chicago (12-5)
#6 Sea (13-4) vs # 3 Philly (11-6)
#5 LA Rams (13-4) vs # 4 TB (9-8)
NFC stayed exactly the same. AFC's teams stay the same. Buff switches seeds w/Jax. Interesting scenarios........If what I picked is correct, the games Det @ Chi & Car @ TB will be all or nothing games for the playoffs. What is startling is that if Chicago wins, they will be a #2 seed. If they lose, they are out & Detroit is the last seed......The season finale between the the Seahawks @ the Niners will be not just for the division, but the #1 seed. A lot of that depends on this week's Rams @ Seattle game......In the AFC, it is hard to see any of the current playoff teams changing. Rivers would have to conduct miracles in Indy, or Baltimore would have to finally find their groove vs NE & road finishes in GB & Pittsburgh.............
..........Allow me to rant about Carolina......But c'mon, man!!!!! How do you get swept by a team w/just 2 other wins???!!!!? Jaycee Horn has had 2 bad games all year. Both vs his dad's old squad. Nothing fishy there. But what was just as infuriating was the penalties. The penalties! I think it was 11 total. Most on defense & special teams. But there was also a dead ball roughing on Okwanu. Guy gives a shove to Bryce Young at the Carolina sidelines. No one on the Panthers is going after the Saints' player. Why are you, stupid?
And of course,
the worst was this one. We can get going about the QB slide. We can debate about whether it was late or not. The problem is you know how the refs call these things. Even if the hit is legal, they will whistle it. So why take the risk? That's my point. The goal isn't to hit the QB. The goal is to prevent the QB from advancing. Mission accomplished.
But no one is mentioning this......What was up w/that defense in the 1st place? Two defenders at the line and it looks like no one was trying to rush. So what you thought the Saints' option were limited by zero time outs? This is stupid defense. This is over thinking at it's worst.
And this was a golden opportunity for the Panthers to set themselves up for the divisional title. Now, even if they win @ home vs the Bucs, they still have to beat TB in their place the final week to win the division. Or beat Seattle & hope the Bucs fall in Miami. Neither scenario is promising. All because you prevent yourself from getting swept by probably the least talented team in the NFL. C'mon, MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!...............
........What is Mark Bavaro doing?..........
.......Coaches I think should be gone.......
Pete Carroll...There are so many badly run franchises & Vegas is one of them. But it is obvious Pete Carroll's best days are behind him.....
Andy Reid.....What a career. What more does he need to prove?.....
Mike McDaniel....Just because you are a good creator & designer doesn't mean you are a good decision maker. He looks to me like a career offensive coordinator, but not a head coach.....
Kevin Stefanski....I don't know all that went down w/him & Baker Mayfield, but his inability to make that work doomed his tenure. If he even gets another head job, he needs to make sure it is w/an established QB & then stay out of his way........
Zach Taylor ...... Yeah, the Bengals have had injury problems. But I've never thought much of his decision making, even when they were winning. I think what we see is someone who talent brings out the best, not one that brings out the most in talent. Another career O-coordinator.......
Mike Tomlin.....leave 'em wanting more. I think he is overrated. But I also think he has been hindered by the Steelers not finding a replacement for Big Ben. Win the division, retire, and let your critics see it wasn't as easy as they think.........
.......I'm not drafting a QB in the 1st 3 rounds of this draft............
......Seven franchises held back by their owners......Cardinals, Raiders, Browns, Jets, Cowboys, Titans, & Bengals...........