Back in 1787 the United States constitution was signed at the Assembly Room of Independence Hall in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. The city of Philadelphia has the cracked Liberty Bell that has rung since the 1800’s. It’s a town that packs quite a punch with the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich on hand. It has seemed like the city of great underdog stories that is home to the Rocky Balboa movies with the Rocky statue perched on top of the many stairs of the Museum of Art.. Rocky is the greatest underdog story ever to have hit the big screen. The Philadelphia sports landscape has always been blue collar teams like Charles Barkley bringing the toughness to the hardwood court. The Broad Street bullies, those Flyers teams, that dished it out in the 1970’s on the ice. From Mike Schmidt hitting those towering home runs for the Phillies on the baseball diamond. The Philly faithful are dedicated to their teams and if they don’t like what is going on, just ask Santa Claus as he’s been pelted with snow balls because of what took place on the field. They get fired up and will be heard if they don’t like how things are going. They are passionate. The Philadelphia Eagles football team now has taken down two evil world power tyrannies in the NFL world. Nick the Dick Foles in 2018 defeated the Evil Empire of the Patriots in the Superbowl with a play called the Philly special. On Sunday, the Eagles gave Patrick Mahomes and the hated Kansas City Chiefs a beat down in the Superbowl 59 we will never forget.

Andy Reid has the most wins in Eagles history, but he has never won the Superbowl in Philadelphia. Reid has the most wins as a head coach in Kansas City and has helped them win three Superbowls including one against his former team, the Eagles, two seasons ago. Then you have the great Patrick Mahomes coming into this Superbowl with a 17-3 record in post-season. Mahomes had an 8-0 record versus Vic Fangio as a defensive coordinator. Fangio has been a D-Coordinator for a few teams as he took the job in Philadelphia after the Dolphins fired him after one season in Miami. The Chiefs had the best record in the AFC and were the conference champions once again going for the 3-peat, something that never happens in the sport of football. The Chiefs going into the Superbowl seem to have the referees behind their back like an angel all season steering them out of any trouble they got themselves in. How many games did Kansas City win by one score or few points with some break from a penalty called on the other team or a no call favoring them? The Chiefs threw that 3-peat phrase around like they were the showtime LA Lakers of the 1980’s. If the Three-peat occurred, then would we have seen the meat head Travis Kelce propose to the annoying pop singer Taylor Swift? The state farm commercials of the Chiefs would have lingered all the way to next season if the 3-peat would be pulled off. The Chiefs were favored but not by much. For any team beating the Chiefs, it seems the odds are stacked up against you like prisoners versus the guards in a friendly death match of a football game.

Jalen Hurts played a very good game versus the Chiefs. More on him later. It was the Eagles defense that made this victory happen for Philadelphia. Vic Fangio remembers the times he has played Mahomes in the post-season with the 49ers and Dolphins. He made some adjustments. The Eagles were able to establish a nice healthy system of a 4 man front that was in the face of Mahomes the entire night. The Eagles contained Mahomes in the pocket most of the night and sacked him six times. Josh Sweat had 2.5 sacks in the game. They were able to rush his passes and Mahomes made mistakes throwing two interceptions and one, a pick six from Cooper De Jeans. Then the other was a diving snatch by line backer Zack Baun right before halftime. The Eagles blanked the Chiefs in the first half 24-0. The Chiefs offense had 23 yards total offense in the first half.

Jalen Hurts earned the MVP of the game which should have went to the entire Eagles defense. “Hurts So Good,” the John Cougar Mellencamp song played in my head as he rushed for 72 yards and scored a rushing touchdown on the tush push. Hurts was not impressive versus the Commanders in the NFC Championship holding on to the ball way too long and taking the bad sacks. Hurts threw one interception. He threw some nice touchdown passes as he had two for the night. The 46 yard throw to De Vonta Smith was a work of beauty by Hurts which made 34-0 in the second half and one of the final nails of the Chiefs’ coffin. You know the Chiefs defense zeroed in on running back Saquon Barkley as he rushed for only 57 yards on 25 carries. It was Barkley that got the Eagles back in the Superbowl. The Chiefs were baffled by a few misleads going after Barkley when Hurts would take the ball the other way. Barkley did add a few big catches as that Eagles offense rolled like a well-oiled machine. By the time the Chiefs found the scoreboard, it was in garbage time. The beat down was for real as the Eagles got their revenge against the Chiefs and their old head coach Andy Reid knocking the nuggies out of the bully.

I bet every Superbowl party across the nation looked like some kind of St. Patrick’s Day party with everyone wearing some kind of green. Andy Reid now has lost three Superbowls, two with the the Chiefs and the other one with the Eagles earlier in his career. The meathead Travis Kelce finished the night with 4 catches for a meager 39 yards. We did not have to listen to his Rocky-style slurred speech at the end of the game licking Mahomes’ tush because they did not win. Balboa in Rocky 4 rambled on after beating the Russian in Russia in that movie. The pop singer was MIA most of the game which was priceless. Who was Travis’ brother rooting for? His old Eagles team or Travis? Jason Kelce looks like the guy you call if you need a possum removed from your attic. Who felt sorry for poor old DeAndre Hopkins wide receiver for the Chiefs telling the world that no flags were called against the Eagles defense? The Chiefs all year get all the calls their way & now will react by crying like they always do when things do not go their way.

The Philadelphia Eagles win their second Superbowl in their history. Now the league has a blue print for how to beat the Chiefs which will be in all stores next season when everything gets fired up once again. How many University of Georgia defenders do the Eagles have on that defensive unit? That might be the pinch of salt in the blue print recipe to beat up on Patrick Mahomes and company next season. Do the Eagles become the next dynasty? Is this the end of the Chiefs dynasty? I believe these two teams will be in the thick of things next year. Just like Ivan Drago in Rocky 4, once you draw first blood you can beat Mahomes just like Rocky beating the Russian. Goat like? Mahomes has been impressive in the post-season. However Tom Brady was never blown out in a Superbowl. Brady took three Superbowl losses. All close games. Now Mahomes has been blown out twice in Superbowls. One last Sunday and let’s not forget about Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers who gave Mahomes the first beat down. In that one the Buccaneers defense pressured him all night long like a hooker that was going to get paid for that act she just did. I feel that Philadelphia freedom Eagles are like the resistance. They have slayed the Evil Empire in 2018. Now they have come back after another evil-doer treated them like the Empire Strikes Back. They returned as the Jedi and brought much needed peace to the NFL and the football world to prevent the league from toppling in a Chiefs three-peat that would have left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths all year. Finally Good has prevailed over Evil at least for one night and the future is hopeful once again.

LAST WEEK RECORD: (DIVISIONAL ROUND 3-1)

WILD CARD RECORD: (3-3)

POST SEASON RECORD: (6-4)

In the divisional round we rebounded from a horrific wild card weekend of predictions going 3-1. Our one blemish came from the Commanders beating up on the Lions as they knocked out the number one seed in the process. My thoughts before that match up were how can a rookie quarterback beat a Detroit team that many had winning the Superbowl. That’s why they play the games because anything can go down on any given Sunday. With two games this Sunday, we have to get them both right to have a great week. The two winners will go the Superbowl.

NFL PLAYOFFS ROUND THREE (CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS) STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE SUNDAY SLATE

#6.WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (14-5) AT #2.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (16-3)

PLAYOFF HISTORY WASHINGTON (1-0) PHILADELPHIA

The Commanders and the Eagles will meet up for the third time this season. Both teams reside in the same division, the NFC East, and know each other well. They split the series during the regular season with each team winning one game. Last week the Commanders gave the Lions a beat down scoring 45 points while knocking off the NFC’s number 1 seed. The Eagles took care of the Rams in a game that got too close for comfort late in that one.

Jayden Daniels has had an impressive rookie season as he helpped turn around a Washington franchise that was face down in the gutter. Daniels has won his first two playoff games. He led a come-from-behind victory in the last meeting versus the Eagles with under a minute drive that he capped off with a touchdown pass. Meanwhile the Eagles quarterback, Jalen Hurts. is banged up which could be a concern. Jalen Hurts did not really do anything special versus the Rams last week. He will be looking to get the Eagles back to the Superbowl for the second time of his career. Hurts is now 4-3 in the post-season play for his career.

This will be the fifth time that two teams from the NFC East have squared off in a conference championship. The last time time was 1986. The winners of the last two of these conference championships with NFC East teams went on to win the Superbowl. The 1986 NY Giants and 1982 Washington Redskins. In this match the Commanders will have the better quarterback due to Jayden Daniels is playing lights out and is healthier than Jalen Hurts who suffered a knee injury against the Rams. The Eagles have the advantage with their running game versus the Commanders run defense. Saquon Barkley has had 3 rushing touchdowns on just 3 carries totaling 130 yards versus the Commanders defense in two meetings. Barkley is playing his best football right now. He should feast on the Commanders defense that plays 95% in nickel coverage. Look for Hurts and Barkely getting off the bus and running in this one. Daniels has had something brewing the last two playoff games with wide receiver Dyami Brown who has 11 for 187 yards and touchdowns. As a fan I would love to see the Commanders make it to the Superbowl. Can a rookie QB accomplish that tall task? The Commanders will be without some big guys in the trenches in this one. Sam Cosmi, the right guard for the Commanders, tore his ACL against the Lions. In the first two games he has squared off against Eagles stud defensive linemen Jalen Carter. The Commanders will also be without one of their starting defensive linemen Daron Payne who has issues with his knee and fingers. Daniels will not have that protection even though he can run and make plays on the run. Stopping Barkley will even be harder for this Commanders team. The Eagles really should have won the second meeting as they had dropped a pass by one of their receivers. If he caught it, it would have been a first down and they would have run the clock out before Daniels’ epic game winning drive. I like the Eagles defense. I think Barkley is too hard to handle for this Commanders defense.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

#2.BUFFALO BILLS (15-4) AT #1.KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (16-2)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Chiefs (4-2) Bills

Did the Chiefs benefit on some calls by the referee last week as they put away the Texans at home? The Bills got a break when Ravens tight end Mark Andrews dropped a ball that could have tied the ball game on a two point try late in that contest.

Patrick Mahomes is now 16-3 in post-season play. Josh Allen finally gets the Bills past the divisional round and now improves his playoff record to (7-5) for his career.

Here we go again!! Bills & Chiefs squaring off for the 4th time in recent years. The Chiefs have wiped out the Bills out of the playoffs three straight times including a AFC Championship game in 2021. Patrick Mahomes vs Josh Allen in a total of 8 games are even at four a piece. Mahomes is 3-0 versus the Bills and Allen in post-season. Allen has dominated Mahomes and the Chiefs during the regular season. The Bills have lost 7 straight road playoff games. Four of those road playoff games were with head coach Sean McDermott. You have to go back to 1992 when the Bills beat the Dolphins on the road in the AFC Championship. The Chiefs are looking to head back to the Superbowl to win their third title in the last 3 seasons. The Bills are looking to get back to the Superbowl since 1994, the last out of 4 straight losses in the 1990’s. The Chiefs have the edge being at home. They also have the psychology aspect as they owned the Bills in the post-season. The Chiefs defense can get to the quarterback as they sacked CJ Stroud 8 times last week. Meanwhile the Bills defense has forced the most take-a-ways, a league high of 35 which that total includes post-season. From the eye test right now, Josh Allen is playing at higher level than Patrick Mahomes. In the post-season Mahomes has a switch that brings him to the same level as Allen or beyond. How lucky can the Chiefs get? Winning that thriller overtime game years ago during which the Bills had the lead by three points with 13 ticks left on the clock. Mahomes and company drive down the field and get the game tying field goal to send it to OT. Then Mahomes and the Chiefs get the ball first and game over. Then the missed field goal that could have tied the game last year in Buffalo by Tyler Bass. Can the Bills fight through all their bad playoff history? How do the Bills defense stop Travis Kelce? This will be another chapter in epic playoff games by these two teams. The Bills defense is healthier than they were last season when they met in post-season. They say three is the charm. Sometimes on the 4th try in sports, you are golden. The Michael Jordan Bulls cleared that hurdle getting through the Pistons in the 90’s in post-season. The way Josh Allen and that Bills offense is playing, who do you cover? The Bills offense adapts to whatever the opposing defense gives them to control the ball most of the game. That could lead to an ice cold Mahomes and Kelce. I think it’s time that the Chiefs take the fall and Bills move on. I think the Bills defense will play a big role like they did versus that Ravens offense last weekend.

OUR PICK: BILLS