LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (DIVISIONAL) 2-2

WILD CARD RECORD: 2-4

OVERALL: 4-6 (YIKES!!!)

NUGGET: HOME TEAMS (8-2) IN THE PLAYOFFS

STRAIGHT PICK-EM

ROUND THREE PLAYOFFS (CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS)

SUNDAY FUNDAY

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

#3.KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (13-6) AT #1.BALTIMORE RAVENS (14-4)

HOW WE GOT HERE: Chiefs dispatched the Dolphins & Bills. The Ravens took out the Texans.

ALL-TIME AFC CONFERENCE TITLE RECORDS: Chiefs (3-3) Ravens (2-2)

QUARTERBACKS:

QB ALL-TIME RECORD IN POST SEASON PLAY: Patrick Mahomes (13-3) Lamar Jackson (2-3)

Mahomes is 3-1 all-time versus Jackson. It’s the 1st playoff match up these quarterbacks will face each other.

The Ravens last week, with ease, took the Texans out to the back of the shed and ended their magical run. Patrick Mahomes, like a worm, squirmed out of Buffalo with an emotional win and a kick that went wide right. This is an interesting match-up as they already said this is the first time two black quarterbacks are facing each other in the AFC conference championship. Even though Mahomes is half white and half black, so is it truly a black on black thing. Who cares anyway because both quarterbacks are awesome. Both of them are duel threats that can beat you with the legs and their arm. Both the Ravens and Chiefs have solid defenses. The Chiefs defense seems to get better as the year goes on. While the Ravens have maintained most of the season, they have been a lights out defensive unit. The Ravens led the league in sacks. Steve Spagnulo has been the Chiefs defensive coordinator since 2019 and Kansas City has surrendered the most rushing touchdowns to opposing teams’ quarterbacks in regular season. The Bills were able to run on the Chiefs last week and control the clock. I think the Ravens can do the same thing with Jackson using his legs. The Chiefs defense are very good defending the red zone.

I like the fact that the Ravens will get their tight end back for this game. Lamar Jackson’s security blanket, Mark Andrews, who went out with an injury in the middle of November, finds his way back to the conference championship game. Andrews will be the X-factor in this one as he played ten regular seasons games and caught one more touchdown than Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce who played 15 regular season games. Andrews will walk away with the booby prize….

Patrick Mahomes won his first playoff game on the road in Buffalo last week. Mahomes has been Superman in the playoffs. The Ravens defense is a different animal. I like the Ravens play makers better than any of what the Chiefs have all together. The Chiefs defense will be exposed with the run. I think the Ravens will get a quick lead as the Chiefs will be forced to throw the ball and keep running back Isiah Pacheco a non-factor in this game. It seems like it has been, and will be, a Lamar Jackson kind of year as it started with him negotiating his own contract. He then showed the football world as the Ravens were the best team all year and earned the number one seed in the AFC. Mahomes and the Chiefs playing two straight home games in hostile environments can drain any team.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

#3.DETROIT LIONS (14-5) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (13-5)

HOW WE GOT HERE: The Lions slammed the Rams while cutting up the Buccaneers. The 49ers just got by the Packers.

ALL-TIME NFC CONFERENCE TITLE RECORDS: Lions (0-1), 49ers (7-11)

QUARTERBACKS

QB ALL-TIME RECORDS IN POST-SEASON PLAY: Jared Goff (5-3) Brock Purdy (3-1)

Goff vs Purdy will be the first ever match-up between these two quarterbacks.

This is the first ever NFL QB match-up that features a number one pick overall vs the last pick in the draft in post-season history. Goff was drafted number one overall by the Rams. Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy was picked last by the 49ers.

If Jared Goff prevails, he will join only Peyton Manning and Tom Brady to start a Superbowl game for two different teams. That’s some interesting company.

Last week the Lions won their second playoff game in a row by outlasting the Buccaneers. The 49ers had a scare by the youngest team in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers. The Lions have won championships in the 1950’s. In the Superbowl Era, this is only the 2nd NFC Championship game for Detroit, who has never won & been to the big dance.

It was back in 1991 when Barry Sanders was creating problems for the opposing defenses in the NFL. The Lions were unable to beat the Redskins that day. For the 49ers, this is an NFL record & their 19th time as a franchise in the NFC Championship game.

This Lions and 49ers match up will be a physical affair. The Lions have a two headed monster in the running game and they like to run the ball. The 49ers run defense is 25th in the league in yards allowed per game (128.6). This 49ers unit is 28th in the league allowing (4.8) yards per carry. Lions running backs have to be licking their chops. David Montgomery and rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs could have a big day on the ground.

The 49ers are the toughest team to tackle. The 49ers average (95.3) yards per game after contact is made. The Lions defense will have their hands full as they lead the league in allowing the most yards after contact (63.5). The Lions pass defense is the weakest left in the tournament. The Lions X-factor, their edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson who has 8 sacks in his last 4 games, is a guy that can make the play of the game and change the outcome.

The 49ers have lost their last two conference championship games including last season to the Eagles. The 49ers in that game had all their quarterbacks get hurt. Brock Purdy had to come back in that game to basically hand the ball off. The 49ers running back made things interesting in that game taking the entire offense on his shoulders. McCaffrey has six touchdowns in 5 playoff games that he has played in.

I don’t think history will repeat itself as Brock Purdy should hold up in this game. The 49ers knocked the rust off last week versus the Packers from the first round bye. I can see them playing a cleaner game while wanting to strike quickly and often on the score board. The Lions have won two playoff games, both at home. I think the Lions beat two teams that they are equal with, as the 49ers are different animals all together. I like this game being close, but the 49ers will end the Lions season late in the third quarter & they will put it away. The 49ers have been the best team in the NFC, and they will exploit the Lions secondary. They will contain Aidan Hutchinson to prevent him from changing the outcome of this championship.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

FROM A FAN’S PERSPECTIVE: Who wants to watch a rerun of anything Chiefs and 49ers? Even the Ravens who have won two Superbowls, as the bad taste is till in my mouth watching purple and black prevail. Enough with the Harbaugh family already, as well. I would love to see the Lions wipe the 49ers off the map. It seems like NFC North teams don’t fair well in playoff games in San Francisco. Then there’s the other match up. To see Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, Taylor Swift, and all those State Farm commercials go away would be a win in my book. Then the ultimate would be the Lions beating the Ravens in the Superbowl. Now that would be the greatest ending to this season in the NFL. Not sure the NFL has written that script.

Lions would transform the football world by winning their first ever Superbowl which is another thing the average fan should want.

Do you remember the old question a player would get after winning the championship? What are you going to do next? They’d say they were going to Disneyland. This is not the case for Jim Harbaugh, the head coach at University of Michigan coming off the field after his last game winning the National Championship for the Wolverines. Mission accomplished – he has restored the Wolverine football program. Now Harbaugh will take on a much tougher and challenging project: the mess in LA called the Chargers. Harbaugh will take a job with one of the worst owners in sports, Dean Spanos, and his family that moved the Chargers from San Diego to ride the coattails of the other LA team, the Rams. The Chargers hardly even have a fan base as Harbaugh has to climb Mt. Everest in this job to get a franchise respectable again that has never won a Superbowl and has only made it once to the promised land.

This is not Jim Harbaugh’s first rodeo in the NFL as a coach. From 2011-2014, he coached the 49ers and was named coach of the year in his first ever season. Harbaugh had the 49ers in the Superbowl as he faced his brother John who is still the head coach of the Ravens, and lost. Harbaugh went 44-19-1 for the 49ers which is one of the best winning percentages of all-time in the NFL. Everywhere Harbaugh has coached, he turned around a very bad situation into a good one after he left town. His Collegiate record as a head coach is 144-42. For the University of Michigan, he went 86-25 with 3 Big Ten Championships along 3 straight playoff appearances. Harbaugh started his head coaching journey at San Diego State. Then he took the job at Stanford University and was very successful. Coaching is in his blood as his father was a coach, and we know about his brother.

I remember when Jim Harbaugh was playing quarterback for the Bears. Mike Ditka was the Head Coach and he went ballistic at his quarterback on the side line about some miscommunication on the offense. Harbaugh had legendary coaches coaching him even at his Alma Mater. He had Bo Schembechler running the Wolverines’ side line. Harbaugh played 14 seasons in the NFL with 4 franchises starting with the Bears, Colts & then Ravens. Harbaugh finished his playing career playing the last two seasons for the Chargers. Harbaugh only completed 58.8% of his passes back in the day. He had a losing record behind center, going 64-74. He finished with 129 touchdown passes along with 117 interceptions. No wonder Ditka was always riding him. Harbaugh is a better Head Coach than actually a player if you go by wins and losses.

So why the Chargers? Simple. The Chargers have a franchise quarterback in place with Justin Herbert. The Chargers in the past had quality quarterbacks like Dan Fouts and Phillip Rivers. The Chargers’ only Superbowl appearance was led by Stan Humpries, a journeyman quarterback. The Chargers franchise has played in 31 total playoff games as a franchise. The Chargers are all-time 12-19 in those playoff games. They are 1-3 all-time in conference championships. Jim Harbaugh would be replacing Brandon Staley, who was a colossal moron, as he takes too many chances giving up for-sure points and turning over the ball on downs to the opposing teams. Staley had this Chargers team in post-season in the 2022-23 season where they blew a huge first half lead to the Jaguars and were one and done. The Chargers have play makers on offense like star running back, Austin Ekeler, and wide receiver Keenan Allen who is a catching machine. On defense, Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack are two stud pass rushers. Yes, the Chargers have pieces in place on both sides of the football that make this an interesting job.

The problems Jim Harbaugh will face taking this job come from playing in the AFC West where Patrick Mahomes is the king. The Chargers going into next season will be 20 something million over the cap so Harbaugh will have some hard decisions to make. The rest of the AFC West could be challenging as Sean Payton had the Broncos in the thick of things after they started off looking like the worst team in the league. Payton has won a Superbowl with the Saints and I can see the Broncos becoming a thorn in the side of these division foes for years to come. The Raiders showed a backbone with toughness when Antonio Pierce took over as the interim coach after Josh McDaniels was fired. Now the Raiders took the interim tag off Pierce as he will the guy. Don’t expect the Raiders to be a walk in the park. Harbaugh has taking that 49er team to the Superbowl with the likes of Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick as his quarterbacks. Harbaugh may gut this team first and build around some of the pillars like Justin Herbert. Everywhere Harbaugh has coached, he has found a way to make the franchise or program better before he left town. This is a great move by a bad owner. The Chargers teams have always been interesting when they played in San Diego. I rooted some of those teams on. Some great players have wore the bolts on those helmets. Even before the move, the Spanos soured me on this franchise. I know in sports you can’t pick your owner. Then they rip all the hearts out of their fan base in San Diego. GREED!!! Not going to sugar coat it. In a way you have to root for a guy like Harbaugh, who put his heart into each game as a player. He was not the best at his position. He learned from the game he played, and other coaches and family, to harness all this in to be a great football head coach. He may be the guy and the Chargers may be the ones to overthrow those annoying Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. Sometimes you need to root for your enemies so they can knock off a bigger one. I don’t know if it will be quick, but the Charge will happen and the Chiefs are wearing red.

The Chicago Bears finished 7-10 regular season with yet another losing season and once again missed the playoffs. Before the season started, the Bears had a spending spree in free agency bringing talented pieces to upgrade a bad roster. The team drafted well. The Bears front office had all their eggs in one basket as they hoped Justin Fields would show he is the face of this franchise. The Bears thought prying a coach out of the Packers organization would be the answer to help Justin Fields. Luke Getsy would only last two seasons as he would be this year’s sacrificial lamb and scapegoat of this season. The Bears will keep Matt Eberflus as the head coach despite a 10-24 record after two seasons. I guess General Manager Ryan Poles and the front office saw the Bears do well enough down the stretch of the season to keep Eberflus. Many compare the Bears’ late season surge like the Lions did the year before. Look at the Lions now in the NFC Championship. The Bears need that guy to clean up the crime scene like The Wolf in Pulp Fiction or Bachman, who was played by great author Steven King in an episode of the Sons of Anarchy. The crime scene we are talking about is not the streets of Chicago. The quarterback position. Do you keep Justin Fields? Can he be fixed or molded into the franchise quarterback? Or are you happy with the way things are with Fields? Do the Bears draft a quarterback like Caleb Williams as they have the top pick in the draft? Nobody has been able to fix the Bears at quarterback position since the 1940’s. The Bears’ new hire at the offensive coordinator to save the rebuild, to save Eberflus’ job next season, is Shane Waldron who called plays for the Seahawks last season. Now he’s the Bears fixer.

Shane Waldron is 44 years old and has been a part of two Superbowl winning teams. Waldron has worked under some big name Head Coaches in the NFL starting with Bill Belichick, Sean McVay, and Pete Carol. Before getting the Offensive Coordinator job in Seattle, he was with the Rams where he started as the tight ends’ coach in 2017 and moved up to a position called the passing coordinator from 2018-20. Waldron was around a young Jared Goff when he was with the Rams. Waldron, then in 2021, called the plays for Seattle’s offense and revived the career of lame duck quarterback Geno Smith after Russell Wilson went to the Broncos. Wilson’s final year in Seattle under Waldron’s offense, he was getting rid of the ball quickly. He finished the season in the ten OB ratings and had a 103.1 passing rating which he did not have the last two seasons in Denver. In 2022 it was Smith’s first year starting since his Jets days when he was completing only 57.9% of his passes. Smith’s first year as the starter for Seattle in 2022 he led the league in completion percentage with 69.8% & he was named to the Pro Bowl. Smith was also named the comeback player of the year. Smith in 2022, passed for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. Just sick numbers for a guy who threw 28 touchdowns in 4 seasons with the Jets and had 36 interceptions.

The Bears have never had a quarterback in franchise history throw 4,000 yards with 30 touchdown passes in one season. The Chicago Bears have ranked dead last in the passing yards since 2022. The Bears have led the league in rushing as we all know Justin Fields can run the ball with the best of them in the NFL. Can Shane Waldron fix Fields’ passing game like he did Geno Smith? Since 2021, Fields out of 38 quarterbacks qualified has finished in the bottom 5 of completion percentage which is 60%. His sack rate is at 12.4 which we know he holds on to the ball way too long and that’s last in that category. His interception rate through that time span is 31%, which is 37th. Fields as a starter is 10-28. About Fields, I just don’t have confidence he will get the job done in close games to engineer winning drives in crunch time. The second half turnovers he causes. Waldron has his work cut out for him to clean up this mess.

Last year the Seahawks and the Bears averaged the same amount points per game, 20. The Bears ran the ball more than the Seahawks and processed the ball longer. There are some things Shane Waldron likes to do in his offense that could help Justin Fields. First, the play action pass which Seattle ranked 15th the last two seasons. Waldron likes to use multiple tight end formations as Seattle had the 4th highest rate. An extra tight end gives Fields an extra blocker or another security blanket to throw to. Last year, Luke Getsy tried to make Fields just a pocket passer instead of using all his strengths like mobility behind center. The Bears changed their game when they started winning games as Fields was passing more on the run. It will be interesting to see if the plan is to throw on the run more for Fields on the cards in Waldron’s offense. What the Bears offense needs is a balanced attack. Waldron may be able to get that. Waldron’s offenses does run the ball as Seattle used Kenneth Walker III and Dee Jay Dallas who did well in his game plans. Waldron has a trio of backs already in place in Chicago. The Bears have some play makers. Maybe they just need one more real weapon like Marvin Harrison Jr. . He sounds awesome with DJ Moore on the other side of the field. The Offensive line has improved. Maybe the team needs one more guy to keep things locked down. All’s we have to figure out is that quarterback position.

Shane Waldron should get credit reincarnating the likes of Geno Smith. The Seahawks missed the playoffs last year as I believe they needed a Bears win to get in over the Packers. That did not happen. Waldron has seen the playoffs once with Smith as they were one and done. Can Waldren do that with Fields? I can see Fields getting the Bears to playoffs and going one and done. Waldren is available because Pete Carol retired as head coach. Waldren is not that hot coordinator candidate that would have taken over the head coaching duties for Seattle. Why choose the Bears when Matt Eberflus’ job is hanging by a thread? Bears start out 0-3 next season & Eberflus will be fired is my guess. If you turn a guy like Justin Fields around and he becomes a viable franchise quarterback for years to come, that can make a guy like Waldron a hot coordinator who can take his career to a head coaching gig. Would it be easy to start fresh with a talented rookie quarterback and program him your way to master his offensive game plan? Fields is like Baker Mayfield – another season & another new offensive coordinator. Could Waldren know the plan for what the Bears GM is going to do with that top draft pick? Perhaps he got the answer. The fixer could fix Fields, but will they win the Superbowl with him? Justin or one of these quarterbacks that are dangling in the upcoming draft? Fields may only take you so far in Waldron’s offense. While the number one draft pick being a quarterback may take Waldron’s offense further. You know one of those quarterbacks has more talent than Fields and will end up being a top notch quarterback for years to come. No matter what, he will have his work cut out for him. If things don’t work out with Fields or that sexy quarterback pick, then Waldron and the Bears could dig up Sid Luckman and reincarnate his career. Shane did it for Geno Smith. The best Bears quarterback in franchise history, even dead, has to be better than Smith.

LAST WEEK’S RECORD IN WILD CARD ROUND: (2-4)

STRAIGHT PICK-EM

ROUND TWO NFL PLAYOFFS DIVISIONAL

SATURDAY GAMES

AFC

#4.HOUSTON TEXANS (11-7) AT #1.BALTIMORE RAVENS (13-4)

CJ Stroud won his first playoff start last week for the Texans in a game that convinced me Houston has something special here. Lamar Jackson negotiated his own deal in the off-season. The Ravens are back in the playoffs this time with Jackson being healthy. The Texans and Ravens met last time in week 1 of the regular season. The Ravens won that game over the Texans, 25-9. The Texans are 0-4 all-time in divisional playoff games. Lamar Jackson is 0-2 all-time in divisional games.

All the pressure is on Lamar Jackson’s shoulders as he is 1-3 all time in the playoffs while CJ Stroud has a nothing to lose mentality with the Ravens. Jackson is a different animal than Joe Flacco and gives the Texans defense lots to process regarding how to contain a duel threat quarterback. The Ravens defense is a stout unit and should contain the Texans running game. Stroud has proven he can still throw the rock against the best defenses in the league as he torched Cleveland’s last week. The cold will face some challenges for Houston, who play in a dome. I just think it’s Jackson’s turn and he will exploit the Texans defense with play action pass all day long which is Houston’s Kryptonite.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

NFC

#7.GREEN BAY PACKERS (10-8) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (12-5)

The Packers versus the 49ers meeting in the playoffs have the NFL record for two teams squaring off for the 10th time. The 49ers has the edge 5-4 in the first nine meetings. With the Packers winning last week, they are now tied with the Patriots for the most playoff wins with 37. If the Packers prevail, they will be number one in playoff wins by themselves. If the 49ers win this meeting, they will have 37 playoff victories and then it would be a three way tie for most playoff wins with the Patriots and the Packers. Brock Purdy and Jordan Love are two quarterbacks who are not flashy but get the job done almost every week for their team. The Packers are the youngest team in the tournament. The 49ers right now are happy to have another chance with Brock Purdy for this playoff run. They are hoping he does not get hurt like he did last year in the loss that doomed San Francisco, who ran out of quarterbacks.

Since the trade deadline, the 49ers defense added teeth to that unit with Chase Young. The key for the 49ers to win this game is stop the Packers running game and that means Aaron Jones. Jordan Love needs the running game. I don’t see him beating the 49ers by throwing the ball 40 times. This goes the same way for the 49ers because they won’t win if Brock Purdy is chucking the ball around 40 times. I like the 49ers experience in this one. I like the 49ers history which will be hard to break as they have won their last 5 playoff games at home. The 49ers also have won six straight divisional round play-off games, which is an NFL record. The Packers had to win their last game in regular season just to qualify and had help from others getting in. They blew the doors off that Dallas team, and Dak Prescott and company are known for their collapses in the post-season. Packers became the first 7th seed in this new format in the NFL playoffs to win a post-season game. The 49ers have another road game. The number one seed rested is just asking too much for this young team who will be special for years to come.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

SUNDAY GAMES

NFC

#4.TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-8) AT #3.DETROIT LIONS (13-5)

The Detroit Lions won their first playoff game in 32 years, last weekend. The Buccaneers won the worst division in football as they beat up on a struggling Eagles team coming into the playoffs with crushed spirits. For the Lions, this is the first NFC Divisional round they are hosting since the 1991 playoffs. Jared Goff of the Lions is battling Baker Mayfield of the Buccaneers. Both quarterbacks were drafted number one overall. The Lions and Buccaneers played during regular season as Detroit won in Tampa Bay, 20-6.

The Buccaneers defense has the 3rd highest blitz rate in the NFL this season. Both teams like to go after the opposing team’s quarterback. Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, one of the best in the league, has a 3 game multi-sack streak going for himself. Last time Todd Bowles, the head coach of the Buccaneers, beat Goff he was defensive coordinator at the time for the Buccaneers back in 2019. Goff was on the Rams then. Last week, Lions had the home field crowd buzzing in that game. The Lions and Buccaneers tickets this weekend are the hottest and most expensive out of the 4 games slated for the weekend. I went against both these teams last week as it took a bite out of my rear showing me up. This game will be close. The Buccaneers defense to me has the edge over the Lions defense. The way Baker Mayfield is playing with those talented receivers the Buccaneers have, I can see them escaping Detroit in a close affair. Goff looked sharp last week, but the Buccaneers defense blitz will be too much for him to handle.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

AFC

#3.KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (12-6) AT #2.BUFFALO BILLS (12-6)

Everyone remembers the Tom & Brady Peyton Manning showdowns year after year in the AFC playoffs. In present day, Patrick Mahomes versus Josh Allen is the Manning/Brady showdown. This will be the third time Allen and Mahomes will square off in the post-season. Both games were won by Mahomes and the Chiefs in 2020 and 2021. Mahomes and Allen met during the regular season 4 times and Bills have won three including the win over the Chiefs several weeks ago in Kansas City. The new development in this arch rivalry this time is the playoff game is being played in Buffalo. This rivalry met once in Buffalo back in 2020 during regular season play when no fans were allowed in the stands due to the pandemic. This is the first ever playoff game Mahomes will play on the road which does not count neutral sites like Superbowls.

Patrick Mahomes is 12-3 all-time in the playoffs. Josh Allen is 5-4 all-time in the playoffs. The Chiefs defense has always been notorious for playing better in the playoffs and at the end of regular season. This Chiefs defense has played well all season long including the playoffs so far. The Bills defense is number two in the NFL forcing turnovers as they have a total of 30 for the season. The Chiefs in the forcing turnovers department rank 27th with only 17. The Bills defense is known for playing well during regular season & then in the playoffs they stumble. Last week the Bills defense played well versus the Steelers. This is easy to say to always bet on number 15, Mahomes, because he hardly loses in post-season as he make miracles happen. The Bills secondary is a walking MASH unit right now so Mahomes should be able to pick them apart. The Bills since they were 6-6 have won every game playing them like they are a playoff game. I don’t like the Chiefs receivers. Travis Kelce is not the same guy from last season or seasons in the past. Since Bills fire their offensive coordinator and now have Joe Brady calling the plays, this Bills offense is the one that teams have a hard time containing. I like Bills Mafia on hand in this one. The Bills will knock out the Chiefs with a decisive blow to their egos and send Kansas City home for the season.

OUR PICK: BILLS

Would you rather go to Key West Florida & lay on the beach or play football in Siberia which translates to Buffalo, New York? AJ Klein has played the line backer position in the NFL for 11 seasons. Before Monday’s playoff game between the Bills and Steelers, he played in one game this season for the Bills. He signed on to the Bills practice squad & ended up being released in December. Who says you have to get out of the house and pound the pavement looking for your next gig? The Bills called up Klein as the team needed some depth on the defense side of the ball with the start of the playoffs happening on the weekend. Klein had the RV ready to roll for a family vacation down in Florida visiting the Keys. Klein decided he wanted to play football, so he signed with the Bills on Thursday to the practice squad before the Wild Card weekend kicked off. Then Klein was quickly added to the active roster as the Bills’ other linebacker, Tyrel Dodson, was ruled out with an injury. Klein found playing time and was one of many unsung heroes on Monday’s late afternoon into the evening hours, that helped the Bills move on to the second round of the playoffs with a victory over the Steelers.

AJ Klein is 32 years old and he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers back in 2013 in the 5th round, 148th overall from Iowa State University. He played 4 seasons in Carolina and moved on to New Orleans. The first time I noticed Klein was when he was playing for the Saints as he had two back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 where he was playing solid football. Klein, a middle linebacker, racked up 70 tackles in 2018 of which 42 of those were solo. In 2019 he had 69 tackles of which 47 of those were solo. He had his only pick six in a Saints uniform. In 2020, Klein came to Buffalo and he had another solid seasons racking up 5 sacks, 75 total tackles of which 53 of those were solo. His numbers went down as his playing time did in 2021. In 2022, Klein was on 3 teams as he started with the Ravens, was traded to the Bears, and then was released by Chicago. The Bills signed him and brought him back for a second stint with the team which makes three teams. Klein has played in 146 games & has racked up 465 tackles. 318 of those were solo. He has tallied 15.5 sacks with 8 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions.

The Bills defense this season has been very solid all year despite losing some of their top guys. When the Bills were in London playing the Jaguars, they lost their best linebacker due to season ending injury, Matt Milano. The story has been with this Bills defense this season… who is the next man up? The Bills lost Millano’s replacement during the Steelers game when Terrel Bernard left the game with an injury. Head Coach Sean McDermott needed a guy to call the plays out there and that guy was AJ Klein. He came off his couch while postponing his vacation to be inserted into the game to call the plays and make sure guys are lined up where they are suppose to be. Klein led the Bills defense in tackles with 11, as 7 of those were solos. Klein has not played football in over a month. He said after the game, “I always say you gotta get your feet wet. The first few plays obviously weren’t that great, but I knocked off the rust and it was like riding a bike.”

The league has seen 38 year old Joe Flacco save the Cleveland Browns’ season by coming off the couch to play quarterback. Flacco did not have his best game over the weekend. AJ Klein had a thinking of hanging up the spikes for good as he became a football fan watching his old team play and screaming at the television when things were not going well. The Bills’ Head Coach, Sean McDermott, was grateful they managed to call Klein before they hit Walley World as he made the National Lampoon’s Vacation reference about how it went down. Maybe Klein calls his RV his cousin Eddie. In the playoffs, you need unsung heroes like Klein. Not sure many people would ditch the family trip to the Keys to play football in Buffalo in winter. The Steelers and Bills were supposed to play on Sunday, but with the blizzard the game was postponed until Monday. Klein, playing a solid game in cold temperatures, is pretty remarkable as he obviously has played for the Bills before and can adapt. Again, not around the Buffalo weather for a month you have to get used to conditions fast. Not many would take on this kind of work. Klein believes this team can go deep into the playoffs and beyond perhaps. When you’re the heart of the defense, playing middle linebacker in the NFL, playing in the Superbowl, and winning it trumps anything. That is the kind of dedication you hope everyone in that locker room has. Obviously Buffalo Bills have a fraternity of brotherhood because they do get guys they cut for whatever reason, coming back for more to provide a helping hand.

I remember traveling when I was younger going overseas to the old country of Ireland. I’ve been to Ireland about a dozen times over my lifetime so far, as I have family there. I recall when I was younger many believing the town was still run by Al Capone types of characters. When I got older, Michael Jordan took the Chicago headlines. When Jerry Springer came up in conversation, it was embarrassing. The violence in the present day is worse than the Capone days. The Windy City does not have that legendary sports figure at this time to talk about. In Chicago, we love our past heroes, maybe a little too much, because the well dries up in the town’s sports landscape. Since the pandemic, & probably before the line in the Smashing Pumpkins song, “the world is a vampire.” Chicago Bulls fans plunged their teeth into the first ever Ring of Honor ceremony at the United Center, Friday night. The Bulls were hosting the Golden State Warriors and honoring the 1995-96 team that went 72-10 for the best record all-time at the time. The ceremony included 13 others, and when the former Bulls General Manager, Jerry Krause, had his name called out, the packed house sent down an orchestra of boos. Krause passed away in 2017 & his widow, Thelma, was there in his honor. She Cried!!! Another moment as a resident in the Chi-town burbs that I’d like to get back.

I hate the idea of making an innocent woman widow cry. From a fan’s perspective, the City of Chicago sports landscape & seeing all the owners we have to deal with, and their henchmen all these years, can make us angry. I know fans, buying that expensive ticket for the game with a ten dollar beer, have the right to express their opinions. Jerry Krause was the architect of the Bulls dynasty which resulted in six championships from 1991-98. Krause made savvy trades bringing in Dennis Rodman from the San Antonio Spurs. In the documentary The Last Dance, which was about the Michael Jordan and cast’s last season together in 1997-98, mentions the beef with Krause. Even though fans knew before the documentary that Head Coach Phil Jackson, Jordan, and Scottie Pippen did not see eye to eye with the GM Krause. Most fans see Krause as the guy responsible for the dynasty break up as he was a guy who thought he could build another one with a different cast. The puppet master himself, the miser owner Jerry Reinsdorf, could have vetoed Krause as well.

Steve Kerr, the Golden Warriors Head Coach who was part of the Bulls dynasty as a player from 1993-95, called what the fans did at the United Center, “Shameful.” Former Bull, Ron Harper, is consoling the Krause widow. Harper was a important pick up for the Bulls’ second three championships. Another savvy move by Krause. When play resumed in the 3rd quarter, Bulls television analyst Stacy King former Bulls player who was part of the first three championships, called the fans who booed, “classless” on air. The Bulls would lose this game to the Warriors, 140-131. I see this as very typical Chicago Sports as a fan, getting beat by a struggling Golden State team coming in. Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan said that without Jerry Krause there wouldn’t be a historic Chicago Bulls history.

These ceremonies teams have or jerseys being retired, are supposed to take you down memory lane in a good way. Phil Jackson was on hand and he received thunderous applause by the Bulls faithful. Besides the great 1995-96 team, the organization had other greats they were adding to this new thing the Bulls brass came up with. Other Bulls being inducted into this Ring of Honor follows: Artis Gilmore, The Great Johnny “Red” Kerr, Dick Klein, Bob Love, Toni Kukoc, Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker and Tex Winter. Michael Jordan was not there but had a video on the jumbotron saying a few words. Dennis Rodman was in, but due to bad weather he could not make it. He sent a video saying some nice words. This was all about the past. This was all about the old memories of which in Chicago Sports we have so few. We have to hold on to or clutch these great moments like a baby with a bottle. We know we will grow out of it. The few bad apples could ruin anything. This night it was more of an orchard raining down the boos like a gladiator fight.

It’s common sense to not speak badly about the dead. Booing someone that can’t defend themselves. Present day people suck. People are angry. People are lashing out all over the world. It’s not just a Chicago problem. The sports owners bring on hostility, especially in Chicago. The Bears have not won a Superbowl since 1985. Why do you think fans clutch that team like if they let go, the memory will vanish. The owner of the Bears, Virginia McCaskey, says she wants to win another Superbowl before she passes away.

The Bears franchise that unites Chicago people is one of worst in sports, not just in Chicago. They still can’t find a quarterback. Sid Luckman was their best and his playing days were back in the 1940’s. Jerry Reindorf is the chairman of the Bulls and White Sox. He’s public enemy number one. Uncle Jerry got lucky having Michael Jordan in place already before he purchased the team. If he did not have him, that six pack of championships would have not been displayed in Chicago. The White Sox have done nothing since 2005. The miser that he is, Uncle Jerry is keeping idiots like Kenny Williams & Ricky Hahn way past their expiration date. Same with the Bulls. John Paxson and Gar Foreman are guys that would be fired from any other organization because they did a bad job. Uncle Jerry and his threats to move his teams. The Blackhawks dynasty came to an end with three Stanley Cups. The Kyle Beach sexual assault cover up and the way the team could not build another run around Patrick Kane is shameful. The franchise is still in the Wirtz family, the family where the old man Bill, who passed away years ago, always refused to put the home games on television back in the 1980’s. The Cubs were owned by the Tribune Company for decades during which they didn’t care what the team looked like because fans were showing up. The Cubs would get a new owner in Todd M Ricketts. The Cubs did win the World Series in 2016 under Ricketts. The Cubs, like the Chicago way, have followed the path of all the owners. Strolling down Miser Avenue without a care from it’s fan bases unless they stop showing up. We love our teams in the Windy City. We love going down memory lane with all those teams. We show up. We are angered. Maybe it’s time the owners of Chicago sports change their tune and show the fans they are classy for a change. We have been shit on long enough.

NFL PLAYOFFS ROUND 1 (WILD CARD WEEKEND)

STRAIGHT PICK-EM

SATURDAY GAMES

AFC

#5.CLEVELAND BROWNS (11-6) AT #4.HOUSTON TEXANS (10-7)

The Browns and Texans did meet not too long ago in Houston in week 16. it was a Cleveland win. CJ Stroud did not play in that game and Texans scored 22 points. The Browns have one of the best defensive units in the league. On the road, the Browns defensive allows more points. Joe Flacco is back in the playoffs at the age of 38. Flacco coming in has thrown 4 straight 300 yard games as he picked apart this Texans defense for 36 points in their own backyard. Flacco is 10-5 as a starter including the Superbowl he won with the Ravens. Stroud is definitely going to be rookie of the year from his play on the field in his first year in the NFL. Stroud, with his play making abilities, can do things off the fly & could be the X-factor in this game. My concern is Houston being able to get pressure on Flacco. Stroud will be taking on a fierce pass rush by the Browns and playing in his first playoff game ever is Myle Garrett who is a Texas native. Watch him have a big game. When Stroud takes 4 sacks or more in a single game, the Texans are 1-4 in those contests. Stroud seems to struggle with defensive schemes Cleveland has on quarterbacks playing more man-to-man. I see this being a close game. In the end, Browns get out Houston barely.

OUR PICK BROWNS

AFC

#6.MIAMI DOLPHINS (11-6) AT #3. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-6)

The classic warmer weather team is coming to the colder weather team’s house during winter. No palm trees in Kansas City. Tyreek Hill is making his first homecoming in another uniform. I hope he packed his long johns. The Chiefs and Dolphins met in week 9 in Germany, which was a 21-14 final that went Kansas City’s way. The Dolphins are 4-4 on the road this season. The Chiefs offense has struggled and are not the same unit that could run up the score board on you. The Dolphins would win in a shoot out. The Chiefs defense is the X-factor in this as they stopped Hill in Germany. If it was not for the Chiefs defense, Kansas City may be at home. This may be the coldest game at kick off to happen all-time. It will be 40 below 0 at kickoff with gusty chilling winds that could take the life out of you. The Dolphins come in banged up on their defense, especially their edge rushers. The Dolphins were missing some of their play makers last week. I can’t see a warm weather team like Miami going into Arrowhead, one of the toughest places to win on a sunny day, and winning. Last 20 years, Miami has a record of 8-19 in games when temperatures are below 40 degrees. The Dolphins have lost their last ten games when temperatures are below 40. My final thought is the Dolphins also have a tough time beating winning teams this season. Mahomes will get the job done with him using his legs and the Chiefs running game in general will be enough.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

SUNDAY GAMES

AFC

#7.PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7) AT #2. BUFFALO BILLS (11-6)

The Steelers and the Bills have been two of the hotter teams coming into the post-season play. Buffalo will welcome the Steelers with lots of snow expected in the forecast. Can back up quarterback Mason Rudolph deliver? As being the reason why the Steelers are where they are filling in the last three games. Bills were 6-6 and things did not look good for them several weeks ago with a difficult schedule in front of them. The Bills have rallied back and were able to seize the number two spot in the playoffs beating the Dolphins on the very last game of the season. The Steeler defense will be without their super star defensive end, TJ Watt, who was the heat of the Pittsburgh defense. In bad weather, the Steelers will have to rely heavily on the running game. For the Bills, they have shown during their winning streak they can run the ball and Josh Allen gives the team another threat with his legs. Allen is 3-1 versus the Steelers career-wise. The Steelers defense with Watt on the field has not been what they were earlier this season. The Bills defense has been rock solid & even dealing with injuries all year, they have found ways to halt opposing offenses in their tracks. I don’t see this game going like the Bills in the snow last year versus the Bengals. The home field advantage will get this Bills team fire and they will be able to deliver the knock out blow to this Steelers team.

OUR PICK: BILLS 

NFC

#7.GREEN BAY PACKERS(9-8) AT #2.DALLAS COWBOYS (12-5)

The Green Bay Packers come into the NFC post-season winning three games in a row. The Cowboys finished the season strong despite hitting a bumpy road in their schedule. The Cowboys head coach may have some revenge on his mind facing his old team he coached for the second time. The Packers won that first match up as the Cowboys blew a late lead last season. McCarthy could get his revenge game. The Cowboys have played almost perfectly at home this season. Love has been on a tear throwing touchdown passes and having multiple games, he has not thrown a interception. All the pressure is on the Cowboys as they face the youngest team in the NFL. The Packers got into post-season beating the Bears in their final game to get the final wild card spot in the NFC. The Cowboys should be exploiting a bad Packers secondary which is the key for the Cowboys victory. The Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb combination will be very hard for the Packers to stop. The Cowboys defense will find the right pressure on Love to throw his game out of whack and force a few unwanted turnovers. I like the Cowboys in this one in a close game most of the way as Dallas puts this away in the 4th quarter.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

NFC

#6.LA RAMS (10-7) AT #3.DETROIT LIONS #(12-5)

The Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford, will be playing his first game in Detroit since he was traded to LA. That means the quarterback that the Rams did not want anymore, Jared Goff, will face his old team for the first time. Who has a bigger bone to pick out of the two quarterbacks? Stafford in his 12 years in Detroit, the Lions never hosted a playoff game. The Lions, after that trade, dug themselves out of the bottom of the barrel of bad teams in the NFL. The Rams come in this one the hotter team as Stafford is on fire and will not want to lose. Meanwhile the Lions have struggled late this season despite winning the NFC North and getting a home playoff game for the first time since the 1990’s. Dan Campbell has done well with this Detroit team, but on the other side the Rams have one of best head coaches in the NFL in Sean McVay. The Rams playoff experience is a big factor in this one. The Lions defense has not played well in the second half and is a concerning problem which Stafford can exploit and ruin this historical moment for the Lions. Goff has a chip on his shoulder which will make this one interesting. The Rams prevail at the end.

OUR PICK: RAMS

MONDAY NIGHT GAME

NFC

#5.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-6) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (9-8)

This game can go either way is my feeling. The Eagles the last few weeks look awful. Can they turn on the playoff switch? The Buccaneers in their last game versus a bad Panthers team scored three field goals and they won it 9-0. The Buccaneers did not look good the week before playing the Saints. This is kind of two teams backing into the playoffs. The Eagles were 10-1 at one point looking like one of the top seeds in the NFC until the rug was pulled under them. The Buccaneers had a hot streak going until the Saints burst their bubble. The Eagles represented the NFC in last year’s Superbowl. Many thought whomever won the NFC South would come in & have no problem with their division winner. Now this match up is a head scratcher. I like the Buccaneers veteran defense because they have played well. Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans are a deadly combination to contain. I can see the Eagles playing that Rocky card underdog mentality and finding a way to turn the tables and flip the script. Buccaneers have been too up and down. The Eagles team has a tale of two halves going. I like Hurts playing out his mind over Mayfield as Eagles look to play the part of their old selves. At least for one week and show the football world they are still flying after the first round of the playoffs is in the books.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

A deal went down in 2021 between the Lions and Rams that involved trading places of their man behind center. The Lions gave up their best quarterback in franchise history to the Rams. The Rams were done with the quarterback they drafted in the first round 3rd overall. The Lions were living in the basement of the NFC North for years. The Rams were knocking at the door of a Superbowl title. It sucks seeing your best quarterback ever to play in a Lions uniform leave to get their guy the Rams didn’t want anymore. It was the three draft picks that Lions fans received in this trade that meant they could stomach seeing Matthew Stafford winning a Superbowl for the Rams the following year. The Lions and the football world thought Jared Goff would hold down the fort until the team finds his replacement. The draft picks did help the Lions as we fast forward to present times. Goff has improved his game and is still the guy behind the center for the Lions. Goff and Lions won 12 games this season while winning their division. They are hosting a playoff game for the first time since the 1990’s. The Rams found their way back into post-season as a wild card and now for the first time these two quarterbacks that traded places will meet. They will meet in Detroit this weekend and face off against each other as the Stafford Rams versus the Goff Lions in a wild card playoff game.

Matthew Stafford spent 12 seasons in Detroit as he started 165 games for the Lions. His is record not very impressive as a starter. He is 74-90-1 but has most of the franchise stats as a staring quarterback. Stafford tallied up 45,109 passing yards with 282 touchdown passes and as a gunslinger threw 144 interceptions. Stafford started 3 playoff games all on the road for the Lions and did not win any of them. For the Rams this year, this was a team that was not going to make post-season. The Rams have hardly any draft capital and have been in salary cap hell. Stafford looked old and ancient last season. This year he found his fountain of youth as he guided the Rams to the playoffs, and he had a 9-6 record behind center doing that. He missed a few games & the team looked bad when he was not playing. Stafford this season has 24 touchdown passes with only 11 interceptions. The last three seasons in a Rams uniform, Stafford started 41 games, has a winning record of 24-17, and tallied up 10,938 passing yards with 75 touchdown passes and 36 interceptions. Stafford is 4-0 in the playoffs for the Rams with that Superbowl win over the Bengals in 2022. Stafford and the Rams were home for post-season last year.

Jared Goff spent 5 seasons with the Rams as he started 69 games. His record was pretty good as he went 42-27 behind center wearing gold and blue. Goff tallied up 18,171 yards for the Rams with 107 touchdown passes and only 55 interceptions. Goff went 3-3 in the playoffs as he was on the losing end of the most boring Superbowl in history of the game versus the Patriots in 2019. Goff has definitely found a home in Detroit as he is 24-24-1 in three seasons in Detroit. He has tallied up 12,258 passing yards with 78 touchdown passes and only 27 interceptions. This season has been Goff’s best. He has the Lions hosting a home game in the playoffs which was something Stafford could not do. Goff’s record behind center this season is 12-5 and he has thrown 30 touchdown passes compared to only 12 interceptions. Goff is completing 67.3% of his passes this season as the Lions are using his talents and giving their guy a strong running game.

This trade has benefited both teams. The Rams got over the hump winning the Superbowl. The Lions are not the Lions of old and are one of the better teams in the NFC. The Lions are just starting to hit their peak while many thought the Rams were going in the other direction, but they have surprised the league. The Rams has not much draft capital with trades like this to get Stafford, but the picks they have had have hit. The Rams still have Aaron Donald who is one of the best defensive players in the league. The Rams have one of the best receivers in the game, Cooper Cupp. The Lions have assembled some talent around Jared Goff as his best receiver is no slouch in Amon-Ra St. Brown. Lions have their own version of Donald, a much younger defensive lineman in Aidan Hutchinson.

Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford have faced each other before they traded places back in 2018. That year, Goff led the Rams over the Stafford Lions, 30-16. Both players will have chips on their shoulders facing their old teams. If you are Lions fans with so much losing history in the last several decades, you have to be cringing at the thought of your old quarterback coming back home to beat a team you are excited about. This week some stories came out that Lions fans want to ban people who are wearing old Stafford jerseys to the game. The wife of Matthew Stafford, Kelly, heard that news & she says it’s sad after all the things her husband did in the city of Detroit. I’m sorry, but the fact is Lions fans want their team to win and get to the next round. Stafford is on the Rams now and was a guy wanting to be traded back in 2021. This is the playoffs, and only one team is going to win and move on. The Stafford jersey could go back on their backs the next round. Lions fans wore their Stafford jerseys rooting for the Rams in the Superbowl. This is not a regular season game, so it should not be a homecoming to praise Stafford and all that he did for the town of Detroit and state of Michigan. Stafford is public enemy number one now so Kelly will have to get over this and understand what sports are all about. If her husband wins, this season will sting the Detroit fans.

What about Jared Goff’s feelings in this game? Matthew Stafford in a loss could leave his ole stomping grounds with his head up because he won a Superbowl. Because he got the Rams this far and into the post-season. It looked like the year without a Santa for the Rams. Goff being traded away so his old team could find someone to do a better job and actually win the Superbowl. Which they did. How would you like to process all of that on your plate? If Goff loses this game against his old team and the Lions fan’s old quarterback, people will want him replaced next season. If Goff and the Lions win this game, it will give this season actual meaning. Sure the team is excited winning the division & playing a home playoff game. Beating the guy that they traded for and for the fans, seeing their old quarterback lose would go a long way. If the Lions win this one and lose in the division round, fans could deal with that. Next season this team will have high hopes & not be thinking the same ole Lions with that losing history. It’s still engraved in their minds from all those bad seasons that piled up like some nightmare traffic jam at rush hour. This is a great story for opening week of the post-season. This game will mean more for Goff than Stafford. I bet anyone a dollar on that.

Suddenly the football world has that easy calm feeling in the air throughout the galaxy. The Fall of the Evil Empire Patriots dynasty has finally come to an end as New England and Head Coach Bill Belichick part ways. It was 24 years, 9 Superbowl appearances, 6 Superbowl titles, and 17 division titles that the Patriots’ reign of terror dictated the NFL and other fan bases all around the football galaxy. I can see Jets, Dolphins, and Bills fans like Ewoks in a celebration beating the drum of those Patriots storm trooper helmets seeing the dynasty come to an end. The tyranny that Belichick and Tom Brady brought to the league all those years as the Death Star hovered over your stadium. The Empire invasion would rip out all those fans’ beating hearts. Then the Patriots victory formation for over two decades leaves you living the nightmare inside your head over and over of the slaughter. It took Tom Brady leaving the organization a few seasons back. It took 3 out of the last 4 seasons not making it to the post-season. The final straw that broke the At At’s back is losing 13 games this season. Something New England has not done since 1992 before the Empire’s dark days began.

Before Bill Belichick took a head coaching job in the NFL, he was a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants. Even Adolf Hitler did something else before he led the Nazi party. Belichick’s defensive scheme in the 1991 Superbowl grounded the K-Gun offense of the Buffalo Bills. The Bills offense was one of the best in the NFL led by Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. They only scored 19 points in a game that went wide right at the very end. The kick heard around the world as the Giants won 20-19. The Cleveland Browns would then hire Bill Belichick as their head coach in 1991. Belichick only had one winning season in his first job as head coach. In 1994, the Browns made the playoffs and beat Belichick’s future team, the New England Patriots, in the wild card round. It was Bill’s first playoff victory as head coach. The Browns and Belichick would lose to the Steelers in the divisional round the next week. Belichick coached the Browns from 1991-95 and had a losing record of 36-44 during his tenure in Cleveland.

Bill Belichick was hired by New England in 2000. Belichick would get lucky and find his quarterback, a man named Brady, who they drafted in the 6th round in 2000. Like everything in the world, it took one play to change the entire history of Belichick and the Patriots. Looking at things now, you could blame Jets’ linebacker Mo Lewis for changing history.

It was the hit on Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe from Lewis back in 2001 that would open the door for Tom Brady. Bledsoe would leave the game as they thought at first it was just a concussion on the veteran quarterback. Bledsoe ended going to hospital for a collapsed lung, had massive internal bleeding, and obviously did not return that season. Brady and the Patriots would not look back as they went 11-3 the rest of the way and made the post-season. You know what happens from there. Belichick/Brady combination would dominate the AFC for two full decades. Bill Belichick had 31 playoff wins. Belichick had 266 regular season wins in New England as he leaves the franchise with the most all-time. Belichick has 333 wins as a head coach including playoffs for his entire career. All-time, he only trails the great Dolphins head coach Don Shula who has 347. Can you see Belichick having his own chain of steak houses like Shula? I doubt it. But Belichick has won more Superbowls than any other head coach in NFL history. How many franchises are still looking for one of those?

Without Tom Brady as Bill Belichick’s quarterback, the Patriots have gone 29-39 and made the playoffs once. Things look good for Belichick in 2021 when the team drafted Mac Jones 15th overall in the first round. The Patriots made the playoffs in Jones’ first season behind center, but they would be ousted with a quick exit. Belichick has always had full control of the Patriots throughout the dynasty as he drafted the players he liked. Jones would end up being a disaster for the Patriots the next two seasons including last when they lost 13 games. If you count the Cleveland days when Tom Brady was not in the league and after he left New England, Belichick is only 65-83 as a head coach.

The Patriots way of doing things is not the way anymore. The younger generation does not want to play the hard knocks style of a Bill Belichick. The Patriots when they were rolling through the league landed big name free agents. They were ones who wanted to get a ring, jump on board the Patriots way, and play hard for Belichick because they had Tom Brady. The Brady/Belichick combo worked. It is a combination of oil and water as eventually it did not work as they separated. I was never impressed by Belichick’s coaching tree as his disciples took on many head coaching jobs. Josh McDaniels failed at the Broncos and Raiders gigs. Then Matt Patricia was an experiment gone wrong in Detroit. Bill O’Brien destroyed a Texans franchise that were taking steps to be better. Romeo Crennel failed in Cleveland and Kansas City. It’s like Belichick deprogrammed them before they leave New England.

Belichick will land on his feet and take another head coaching gig somewhere. I don’t see him having full control over the organization as the General Manager. Tom Brady without Belichick won a Superbowl in Tampa Bay without his former coach. Belichick will have to live with that knock because I don’t see it happening. Belichick is a great coach but had luck with Brady delivering and buying in on the Patriots way at the time. Then the relationship became strained, but this team still rolled through the league like an well-oiled machine. Mike Ditka hated his defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan back in 1985 when they coached the Bears and won Chicago’s only Superbowl. Without each other, they never won the Superbowl. You can say the Patriots were cheaters with deflate gate and video recording the opponents’ practice under the Belichick regime. Belichick’s gift was the scheme – the game plan he put in place which you can’t take that away from him. He is a Hall of Fame style coach as he had to put personnel together and gather his “yes men” to do their jobs. You could say he rode the coattails of his quarterback for some of those Superbowl trophies. All great things come to an end. This day in the NFL is V-day as it officially ends the Patriots dynasty, aka the Evil Empire. It will not this time be stepped on like a cockroach and come back for more like all these years when we thought the Patriots’ way was done. We hoped that the dynasty was over. Now we can “Book it Danno” with Belichick and the Patriots parting ways, the Evil Empire has fallen and can’t get up until another team in the league takes over the vilian spot.

NFL PLAYOFF EVE WEEK

WEEK 18 STRAIGHT UP PICK-EM WITH PLAYOFFS ON THE LINE

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (11-5)

OVERALL RECORD: (159-97)

Still in search of my first weekly pot of the season.

THE SATURDAY NIGHT GAMES

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (9-7) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (13-3)

This game means more for the Steelers than the Ravens who have clinched the number one seed in the AFC. Who will the Ravens rest in this one? The Steelers need to win this game if they want to make the post-season. If the Ravens let the Steelers win, say they meet up in post-season & then find themselves on the losing end of that game. Let’s face both teams do not like each other. Mason Rudolph has saveD the Steelers X-Mas and New Years with back to back wins guiding the Steelers sleigh. Rudolph, like Tyler Huntley who will start for the Ravens at quarterback, these guys are career back ups. Both have been seasoned and through the turf wars. The Ravens head coach John Harbaugh does not want to even lose pre-season games and Ravens want to put the fatality on the Steelers season.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

HOUSTON TEXANS (9-7) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (9-7)

Winner winner chicken dinner is what’s at stake in this one. Winner goes to post-season & loser is home watching the playoffs on the couch.

The Colts won the first meeting between these teams way back in September. Things have changed since then. CJ Stroud looked sharp as he returned from concussion protocol that cost him some games. The Texans are a different animal with Stroud. The Colts at home is nice but Gardner Minshew has not won big games in the NFL. Stroud has won big games at the college level and he has quickly adapted his big play skills on the NFL. I like the road team in this one.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (8-8) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-14)

The Buccaneers found the light at the end of the tunnel as they face the worst team in football for their path to the post-season. It’s simple – Buccaneers win & they win the dreaded NFC South. Buccaneers were one of the hottest teams in the league until the Saints cooled them off last week to set this up. The Panthers’ biggest problem is they can’t score. They would need the Dillon Panthers offense to win this game.

I don’t see Bryce Young having the game of his NFL career and winning this game for the Panthers. Baker Mayfield is looking for a contract next season for the Buccaneers or whoever I see him amp up getting the job done in this contest.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

CLEVELAND BROWNS (11-5) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (8-8)

This game means nothing to either team. The Browns have their seed locked up in the post-season and should and will rest players. The Bengals hole they dug early this season comes back to haunt them. They were eliminated last week in the loss to the Chiefs. The Bengals will be motivated to end the season with a winning record. Back up Bengals quarterback Jake Browning wants to go out on high note as he will not know the next time he plays a game in the NFL as Joe Burrow will be back behind center next season. If he stays healthy, Browning sits.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-9) AT DETROIT LIONS (11-5)

The Vikings are still mathematically alive to make post-season play. The Lions lost a tough one last week versus the Cowboys. The Vikings need the Nintendo cheat codes and divide that by the DaVinci codes to get in. The Lions have the division wrapped up, but a win could improve their seeding. Lions at home with the Vikings mess at quarterback ends Minnesota’s season.

OUR PICK: LIONS

NEW YORK JETS (6-10) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-12)

This match up makes me picture the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz singing the song, “If I had a quarterback.” The days when things were easy for the Patriots and made Bill Belichick look like a genius when they had Tom Brady. Do you remember the one play Aaron Rodgers ran this season way back in game one? This game is the equivalent of pond scum draining in the prehistorical tar pits. You can talk about Jets defense. You can talk about how the Patriots will make a game out of this.

This is what everyone wants to see – the end of the Patriots dynasty and that means you, Billy Boy. Even though the Jets are a team many people don’t care for. This is something to play for ending Belichick’s NFL career with a loss. His Patriots career. Slime intends to resurface in another city.

OUR PICK: J-E-T-S JETS JETS!!

ATLANTA FALCONS(7-9) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (8-8)

The Saints need help as so do the Falcons to make it to the post-season. The Falcons path to the division title means they have to win this game and hope the Panthers pull off the upset over the Buccaneers. The Saints win and a Buccaneers loss is their best path for the division title. Now if Saints win, Packers and Seahawks lose, and Buccaneers win… they could sneak in the back door of post-season as a wild card. I like the Saints winning this game. They have the better team than the Falcons & they are at home. The Falcons did not look good last week and the Saints played very well.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (9-7) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (5-11)

The Jaguars need to win this game & then they win the division title in the AFC South. The Titans will have veteran Ryan Tannehill behind center. This might be his last stand as a starting quarterback in the NFL barring injuries to other guys in the future. If the Jaguars lose, they will not make post-season play. The Jaguars have done well on the road but have had hiccups in Nashville. The Titans intend to play better at home but have nothing to play for here. Will Trevor Lawrence be able to go? Even if Lawrence is sidelined, the Jags defense stepped up their game and that convinces me they should be able to escape Honky Tonk town with a win and get back to post-season.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(8-8) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-12)

The Seahawks need to take care of business in this one versus the Cardinals. Which Cardinals team will we see kneeling down for a better draft pick or the squad that took down the Eagles last week? If the Seahawks win and the Bears beat the Packers, they are in the post-season. I think the Cardinals will make a game out of this and bring the Seahawks season to the brink. In the end, Seahawks pull out a close one because slime like Pete Carol always finds a way to slither on. He’s like the Governor of the Walking Dead.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

CHICAGO BEARS (7-9) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (8-8)

This game is the Bears Superbowl if they win the game. The Packers need to win & then they will be in the post-season. These two teams met in game one of regular season and the Jordan Love ERA instantly started off with a bang as the Bears’ landlord is taking Aaron Rodgers torch and running with it. Things have changed since then. The Bears are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. They are like the Lions of last year. The Packers beat up the Vikings last week as Minnesota tried a different quarterback behind center and it back fired.

Did anyone say Cheeseburger?

The Bears defense turns the Packers into minced meat which will serve up some nice cheese burgers all around. Justin Fields has a big day making a statement that he should be the team’s QB of the future. Bears send Green Bay Packing.

OUR PICK: DA BEARS!!!!!

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-6) AT LA CHARGERS (5-11)

This game means nothing for either team. Pride maybe. The Chiefs are cemented in the third seed of the AFC with the win over the Bengals. The Chargers dropping this game for draft position makes more sense. I think LA will have many Chiefs fans on their hands. I don’t see Patrick Mahomes playing and others. The Chiefs defense should be able to contain Easton Stick and that Charger offense who went dormant last week. The amped up Chargers team for the interim coach is over as they are back to business planning their exit strategy. The Chiefs will win it for their West Coast home away from home.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

DENVER BRONCOS (8-8) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (7-9)

The Jarrett Stidham revenge game for the former Raider last season, now Bronco this season, means war.

Stidham last week won his first start in a Bronco uniform since the benching of Russell Wilson. Stidham’s life is tough marrying a bikini model & now he could get his opportunity at starting position in the NFL. The Raiders are playing very hard and doing it so management will keep the interim coach Antonio Pierce next season and beyond as the guy. I like the Raiders defense. They know Stidham from what he did in practice last year. Sean Payton is a very good QB whisperer, but no way Stidham becomes John Elway in his second start this season on a Broncos team that probably had enough.

OUR PICK: RAIDERS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-5) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (5-11)

The Eagles still have a shot to win the division as they need to beat the Giants first. Hope the Cowboys lose to the Commanders. The Giants probably should take the loss here to get a better chance of finding a quarterback for Brian Daboll next season. Tommy DeVito, Daniel Jones, and Tyrod Taylor could be easily dumped on the curb side by the time the season ends. I like the Eagles in this one. I feel they will be the wild card traveling to whoever wins the NFC South in the 5th spot.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

LA RAMS (9-7) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (12-4)

Both the Rams and the 49ers are in the playoffs. The 49ers are the number one seed and really have nothing in this game to play for. The Rams could be 6th or 7th seed depending on if the Packers win and LA loses here. A win will get the Rams the 6th seed with 10 wins. The question is: Will the Rams rest guys? I can see this one falling to the 49ers scrubs beating the Rams just because they really don’t need it.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

DALLAS COWBOYS (11-5) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-12)

The Cowboys win & they are the NFC East champions and are the second seed in the conference. The Commanders have checked out weeks ago as this team looks like they are going through the motions. The Cowboys play better at home than on the road. If the Cowboys lose and Eagles win, they will be the 5th seed and travel to play the winner out of the NFC South. The Cowboys are due for a big game and a clean one with no mistakes as they can go into cruise control from the brutal schedule they have had the last few weeks mostly on the road.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

BUFFALO BILLS(10-6) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (11-5)

This game is for all the marbles. Whoever wins between the Bills and Dolphins win the AFC East and have the number two seed in the conference. A Dolphins win means they win the AFC East and if they lose, they will be the 6th seed traveling to Kansas City next week. The Bills need to win for the division title. but a loss means they need help getting in. The Bills won the first meeting in Buffalo. Josh Allen is 10-2 versus the Dolphins all-time. The Dolphins are banged up on the defensive side of the ball. Some of the Dolphins play makers are questionable with injuries. I like Allen having a big game and taking this game and the division at the same time.

OUR PICK: BILLS