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PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM

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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.

JIMMY BUCKETS HAS TORCHED EVERY PLACE HE HAS PLAYED

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I don’t think any teams that Jimmy Butler has played for in his entire career will retire his jersey in the future. Any reunions or future team functions from all these teams Jimmy has played for, his invite is lost in the mail. He has burned the bridges of every organization he has ever played for. His latest torch job is South Beach as he put the heat on the Miami Heat for his latest exit out the door kicking and screaming. Pat Riley plays the newest Batman style villain in the mind set of Jimmy Buckets, a nickname he earned torching the net on the basketball hardwood. Riley orchestrates a deal sending Butler to the west coast where he will team up with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Good riddance thoughts have to be playing in the mind of the GM Riley of the Heat. Now they can move on from this South Beach saga that has gave this franchise the publicity they did not want. In weeks and weeks dealing with Jimmy Buckets’ exit strategy. Now the Heat, like the other teams in Butler’s past, close this chapter for good.

Jimmy Butler is 35 years old and has played in the NBA for 14 seasons. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1st round of the 2011 NBA draft 30th overall from Marquette University. He played six seasons in Chicago and Miami. In between Chicago and Miami, he had stops in Minnesota along with Philadelphia. This year Butler has only played in 25 games as he was suspended multiple times by the Heat unhappy with the organization. Jimmy Buckets this season has averaged 17 point per game with 5.2 rebounds while dishing out 4.8 assists per game. Over his entire career, Butler averages 18.3 PPG, 5.3 TRB, and 4.3 Assists. Butler is a 6 x All-Star, 5 x All-NBA and he is one of those rare guys that plays solid defense as he has been selected 5 x All Defense as well. In 2022-23 he earned himself Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Right now the Miami Heat are the number 7th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Golden State Warriors need the Butler spark as they the 11th seed right now and obviously wanting to move up past the play in post-season to get a better seed.

In Chicago Jimmy Butler once called his head coach Fred Hoiberg soft, and he was a hired puppet at the time. He butted heads with Derrick Rose as he moved up the food chain on the roster depth charts. He questioned the younger players and exchanged unpleasant words with other Bulls veteran players on the way out of Chicago such as Dwayne Wade and Rajon Rondo. The Bulls traded him to Minnesota to reunite with his former head coach Tom Thibodeau who helped Butler develop into all around player. The Bulls would only make the playoffs once since trading Butler and were dispatched quickly in 2022 by the Bucks in the very first round. In Minnesota things started well as it always does when Butler first arrives into town. The Timberwolves had assembled a nice young group of talented players. Minnesota would make the playoffs in Butler’s first season, but they were quickly dispatched by the Houston Rockets. Butler was fed up with the surrounding cast and he made his thoughts clear to the media and the GM of the Timberwolves. Butler would turned down a extension by Minnesota and request a trade. The one famous practice where Butler teams up with all the bench players in a scrimmage to play the starters. Jimmy Buckets’ team of scrubs won the scrimmage as he would yell to the GM at the time, Scott Layden, “You fucking need me.”

Jimmy Butler then was traded to Philadelphia. The 76ers relationship would last only one season. Butler aggressively challenged the Head Coach, Brett Brown, of the 76ers. Butler created a rift with his Head Coach speaking out in negative ways in a film session about how the offense was run. The 76ers has Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons with Butler which gave them a solid three in the starting line up. Despite Coach Brown’s offensive strategies, Butler took it upon himself to take over the 4th quarter with plenty of highlights that turned into game winners. That 2018-19 season, the 76ers made it to the second round of the playoffs versus the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference. Butler played outstanding as the series went the full length. The Raptors would eventually win the series and went on to win their first title ever. In the end Jimmy proved the offense ran better with the ball going through him. In the off-season, the 76ers were excited about the younger talent of Tobias Harris and moved on from Butler who could have had gotten a extension. Butler would get revenge on the 76ers being in a Heat uniform and knocking out Philadelphia years later. Butler would then say, “Tobias Harris over me?!”

Then with the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler continued his epic post-season moments. The Miami Heat were the first ever play in seed to get the the NBA finals. It was Jimmy Buckets who made that happen in 2023 where the Heat stormed through the Eastern conference. The Heat took down the number one seed Milwaukee Bucks as Jimmy averaged a sick 37.6 point per game in that series. The Heat finished off the Knicks and then the Celtics to move on to play the Nuggets in the finals. The Heat would win game two of the series versus the Nuggets, but Denver would prevail the rest of the way and win their first NBA title. It’s pretty much the same story that keeps happening in Jimmy life in his professional career. The coach and the surrounding cast around Butler. Then the front office not being able to get him the players he needs to get the job done. Butler would miss the team’s flights. Skip out on mandatory team functions. He would walk out of practices fed up. Eventually the match was lit and the Heat franchise would go up in flames. Now as things are smoldering and both parties have moved on without each other.

New life for Jimmy Butler with the Golden State Warriors. The big three will feature Stephon Curry, Draymond Green and now Jimmy Buckets. How will this work for a Warriors team that are about at the end of their ropes with this dynasty that has been over for the last few seasons? Is Butler there to save the day & this dynasty from the plug being pulled? Curry is the number 1 guy on this team. Can Butler coexist with Curry being the number one guy? This may be the best team that Butler has played for. He has played with aging washed up NBA veterans at the end of their playing careers. Mostly Butler has been surrounded by a younger cast. Curry and Green are on a different playing level then any of the guys Butler has played with before as they can still get the job done every night on the hardwood. Let’s face the facts this is Butler’s last chance. If he gets out of control, he may just as well hang up the shoes for good. The Golden State Warriors head coach is Steve Kerr who played with Michael Jordan and won titles with him as a player. He has coached all these Warriors championships with Curry and Green. Kerr is no Fred Hoiberg. He by far is the most decorated head coach Butler has ever played for. Playing with Jordan who did everything including throwing the kitchen sink at winning the game. Butler has that winning is everything mentality. Kerr may know how to utilize Butler’s talents to mesh with Curry’s like the splash brothers where they both get the ball enough. Kerr could pound that team concept into Butler’s noggin. NO I in TEAM. You could say Butler has that Jordan mentality in him. Even Jordan needed a cast surrounding him to win the titles. Before that he was a one man show. Jordan changed his game when he finally got guys like Scottie Pippen and others to play with. Butler does not have to be just Butler and could use this opportunity into a possible championship he has been seeking since day one. The Warriors need some kind of spark. Now they once again have that three-headed monster that every NBA team needs. This will be interesting how this goes down. We know these guys can score points. The NBA does not play defense like they did decades ago. Defensively adding Butler with Curry and Green, that’s something to watch. All three guys can can play both sides of the court and do it well. The Butler move here by the Warriors will either launch this dynasty back into some kind of relevance or the time bomb is slowly ticking away to blow it all up. We will wait and see if drama occurs and if Butler once again burns this time the Golden Gate Bridge, leaving elsewhere.

REMEMBERING WHEN WE ALL ROOTED FOR THE PATRIOTS AND THE CHIEFS BEFORE THEY TURNED INTO THE MACHINES THAT RAN OVER THE ENTIRE LEAGUE

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How long ago was it when we could stomach the Chiefs and the Patriots? Do you remember the New England Patriots before Tom Brady? Do you remember when we rooted the Chiefs on during those Marty Schottenheimer days when they would go pretty much one and done in post-season play? That after some stellar regular seasons in the late 80’s and 90’s. Right before Patrick Mahomes, who did not root for Alex Smith? The Patriots in their first ever Superbowl were blown up by the Chicago Bears, 46-10.

That was 1986, Chicago’s only Superbowl with the great Walter Payton and perhaps the best defense of all time. I rooted for the Patriots when they played the Bears’ arch-rival in 1997. The Packers beat up the Pat’s in that one 35-21 as Brett Farve had a better day than Drew Bledsoe. One of my favorite running backs of all-time suited up for the Chiefs.

I wanted that poster above of Christian Okoye who had one of the greatest nicknames in sports aka the Nigerian Nightmare. I believe Priest Holmes was one of my first ever selected running back in my first ever fantasy football league I joined. Derrick Thomas tallied up over 100 sacks during his days in a Chiefs uniform. I remember rooting for the Patriots in February of 2002, who were heavy underdogs versus the greatest show on turf. Love Kurt Warner back then but his wife led the league back then in side line camera shots like the annoying pop singer Taylor Swift. Back then we did not really know that Tom Brady was a nozzle. Warner may have the best underdog story – bagging groceries & then playing arena ball before taking the Rams all the way to the promise land and winning. The Patriots had their own underdog story which was Brady, a quarterback drafted in the 6th round in the year 2000. Bledsoe was the next Walley Pip story.

Walley Pip played first base for the Yankees and got hurt. Then Lou Gehrig took over and his MLB career was launched with the pinstripes. Then the saying was, “Don’t get Walley Pipped.”

Tom Brady would take over for Drew Bledsoe and the Patriots were suddenly in the Superbowl. It should have been the Rams blowing out the Patriots in that game. The Rams out-gained the Patriots that Superbowl, 427-267. It was Adam Vinatieri and a walk off boot of 49 yards that gave the Pats their first ever Superbowl while ending the Rams’ potential dynasty in St. Louis in 2002. Now we regret that. Bledsoe would be elsewhere the following season. The Pats and Tom Brady would win 5 more titles as the Evil Empire dynasty collected a six pack of titles. The Patriots did lose three Superbowls as they made 9 total. Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Julian Edelman, and Rob Gronkowski became annoying and still may be the most hated dynasty in sports history but Mahomes and company are catching up.

Then came the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes only played one game in his rookie season. That was all Andy Reid needed to see as the Chiefs future was bright. Everyone was rooting for poor ole Andy Reid. A hard luck loser in his Philadelphia days with Donavan McNabb never winning a Superbowl. Mahomes showed the entire NFL he could razzle dazzle all his opponents playing the Quarterback position like a basketball point guard on the hardwood. In 2019, everyone wanted the Chiefs to knock off Tom Brady and the Patriots in post-season. It was the Chiefs and Patriots in the AFC Championship. Tom Brady showed he was the GOAT and knocked off the future GOAT of present day in the NFL. Mahomes was able to beat Brady in regular season going 3-1 against him. In the playoffs, Brady beat Mahomes twice. Sounds very familiar with Josh Allen and Mahomes.

Before Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady squared off in the Superbowl in 2021, Mahomes won his first ever Superbowl in 2020 as the Chiefs beat the 49ers. Then Tom Brady left New England, and signed with the Buccaneers, and he had Tampa Bay in the Superbowl in 2021. Everyone was rooting for the Chiefs still. Brady and the Buccaneers would prevail 31-9 versus Kansas City. Brady would never get back to the Superbowl after that season winning his 7th title of his career. I’m sure that was fine with the Chiefs who then became that dynasty everyone hates as they beat the Eagles in 2023. Then last year in another rematch with the 49ers, they beat them again to win their 3rd Superbowl since Mahomes became the starting QB for Andy Reid. Now the Chiefs will go for the three peat which does not happen in football. As they have a rematch against the Eagles who they beat in 2023. They even call it the Andy Reid Bowl II, because he was the best head coach in Philadelphia by wins and best ever in KC history.

Remember all the breaks the Patriots used to get? The NFL let New England go on plenty of scandals involving cheating by the Patriots. From deflate gate to Bill Belichick recording teams’ practices. The tuck rule when Tom Brady fumbled versus the Raiders and how magically the call gets reversed in a divisional game. Look at the Chiefs getting away with murder versus the Bills. The first down by Josh Allen in the AFC championship. Two officials had opposite spots on that 4th and 1 play at a pivotal point in the game. One saying Bills got the first down. While the other saying Kansas City stopped them. The Chiefs got the call and avoided a back breaker play that could have ended them easy and scored the right way on turnover on downs. The Chiefs squeaked by many of their games this season. The Chiefs won most of these games on some kind of play that went their way late in the game. It was the same thing in the divisional round when Chiefs finally knocked off the Texans. The joke is why does Mahomes wear number 15? It’s a 15 yard penalty if you make contact with him or if you even try to tackle him you may be flagged. In the Texans game ghostly penalties called on Houston costed them.

Many people may boycott Superbowl 59. They think the league is rigged. They see it with their own eyes how the Chiefs get away with bloody murder especially this season. Since 2002, the Patriots and Chiefs have won 9 Superbowl titles combined. They have been involved in 13 Superbowls combined. If you count Tom Brady’s Buccaneers Superbowl that is 14. In a total of 24 Superbowls since 2002 including this season in a game not yet played the Chiefs, Patriots and Brady have been involved in someway for 15 of them. I can see why people across the nation and perhaps around the world are pissed off. It’s the same script with basically two teams and the rest of the league are moving parts thrown a bone. You can say this sport is hovering around at the wrestling level of being fake with written scripts. Is this not why the NFL went with a salary cap? So the league would have some parity? That science experiment has blown up all over the faces of all these NFL executives. Everyone will be wearing green like it’s St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday going Eagles. It may not matter because Mahomes may need to tie Tom Brady in titles. Will we have to relive the same game like in the movie Groundhog Day as Bill Murray lives the same day over and over. Not sure the teams that I like in the NFL will get selected as the next dynasty. Let’s get some new writers in the NFL script department and give another team a whirl. The NFL All-Star game has gone to flag football. The Superbowl has gone to Harlem Globe Trotters versus the Washington Generals.

Hopefully Jalen Hurts’ Eagles are the Generals that are due and need to win against this SKY NET machine the Chiefs are. It’s time to terminate the Nuggies and the State Farm commercials. Take Taylor Swift with you as well. Maybe next year we can have the Go Go’s band in some team’s box. Not in the script.

PETE CARROLL IN SIN CITY LEADING THE RAIDERS MAKES SENSE ON ALL LEVELS

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In Steven King’s masterpiece, The Stand, the devil at the end of civilization set up camp in Sin City, Las Vegas. The Stand is about a pandemic that wipes out most of the population. All the survivors find their calling to be good or evil. The good set up in Colorado. The evil were led by a character named Randall Flagg, the devil. He had a full head of hair, trimmed up beard, had probably even seen the fountain of youth. You would think Satan or vampires that are hundreds of years old never age. The owner of the Raiders, Mark Davis, is trying to get back that razor’s edge that made the entire league regret playing the silver and black a long time ago, in a galaxy far away. Since the Raiders have moved from Oakland to Las Vegas, it has been musical chairs at the head coach position. The Vegas Raiders finally found their Randall Flagg to get back that edge and that is the ageless wonder 73 year old Pete Caroll who some may think is the spawn of the devil.

By the time next season starts up again in 2025, Pete Caroll will be 74 years of age. He for sure does not look like a guy in his 70’s. Caroll still has that upbeat energy and is a players’ coach. He can still build your franchise a winning culture and that’s why he got a three year deal with an option year for a 4th season with the Raiders. When Caroll took over Seattle, the only Superbowl the Seahawks ever made was in 2005 when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Carroll’s first season, the Seahawks won their division with a 7-9 record. They even won a playoff game that season. Carroll turned the Seahawks franchise around quickly as he started in 2010 and they won their first ever Superbowl with him in 2013. The Seahawks went to back to back Superbowls, but only won one of them. They should have won their second, but a bad play call in the last minute of the game down at the goal line ruined that as the Patriots intercepted a Russell Wilson pass that gave Tom Brady and New England another title. In 14 seasons in Seattle, Caroll had the Seahawks to the post-season 12 times. His record in Seattle was 137-89-1.

When the Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, they were a team on the rise. The Raiders had a solid head coach in Jon Gruden that was bringing back that winning excellence, “Just win Baby,” in his second stint with the franchise. In 2020 the Raiders finished 8-8. In 2021 the Raiders were off to a pretty good start with a 3-2 record. Then the league uncovered Gruden’s old racist emails from the days he was just a coach in Washington. Those were dark times just after the pandemic as there were plenty of racial tensions throughout the United States. The league was investigating Dan Snyder, the owner of the Redskins, and his dysfunctional franchise at the time. Gruden would step down from his head coaching duties and the interim job went to Rich Bisacia. It was Bisacia who went 7-5 as the H.C. and the Raiders made the playoffs but were a quick exit in the wild card round. The owner of the Raiders decided against giving Bisacia the permanent gig as the head coach. Instead Mark Davis would hire Josh McDaniels and that was a complete disaster. The interim head coach duties went to Antonio Pearce after McDaniels was fired and he led the Raiders over the Chiefs in a Christmas Day victory in 2023. That victory sealed the deal for Pearce. This time Davis gave the Interim Head Coach the full time gig the next season. Pearce and the Raiders in 2024 were one of the bottom feeders in the NFL. The Raiders would clean house and start fresh with a new General Manager and new Head Coach.

The last time the Raiders have been to the Superbowl was 2003 when they lost to their former head coach Jon Gruden who was traded to the Buccaneers. If you remember, Gruden’s Raiders had Tom Brady and the Patriots on the ropes in a 2002 divisional playoff game as they forced a fumble on the legendary quarterback and recovered the ball. A turning point in the game which could have been a dagger in the Patriots coffin but was overruled as the referees would dig something so deep out of their assholes. Suddenly the tuck rule was formed as his arm was going forward. The Patriots would win that game. The Raiders would trade away Gruden the next season which might have been the worst mistake this franchise ever made because of Tom Brady. If Raiders win the tuck rule game, do they get to the Superbowl in 2002? If the Raiders won that tuck rule game they may have kept Gruden for 2003 and may have beat the Buccaneers. Gruden with the Buccaneers knew everything about his former team the Raiders in that Superbowl to give Tampa Bay an advantage. The Patriots QB played well enough to beat the Seattle Seahawks in 2015, but Tom Brady was not on the field to seal the deal. The Patriots defense, which was led by Bill Belichick, and Pete Caroll letting his offensive coordinator call a pass play. This instead of giving the ball to running back Marshawn Lynch to run the ball in at the goal line cost Seattle and their head coach another Superbowl title. The Raiders have made Brady 10% of their ownership after he retired. Brady most likely is calling most of the shots. At one time, Brady, Raiders and Pete Caroll versus the Patriots were enemies of the state. They now have joined forces to resurrect Raider nation who last won a Superbowl in 1984 versus the Washington Redskins.

The AFC West is loaded with each team having one of the brightest minds in the game as their head coach. First the Kansas City Chiefs and Andy Reid are looking for a three-peat. Then Jim Harbaugh had the Chargers in the post-season in his first season in LA being hired by one of the worst franchises in football. Harbaugh has a great track record leading the 49ers to the Superbowl years ago and then recently he led his old school, the University of Michigan to a national championship win. Sean Peyton won a Superbowl title with the Saints and found a QB in the draft, Bo Nix, and he had the Broncos in the post-season this season. The Raiders were the only team in the division not to make the post-season.

The Raiders would be bringing in a very decorated head coach in Pete Caroll who has only sat out one season after leaving Seattle. Before Seattle he won the National Championship with USC in a 9 year stretch where he went 7-2 in bowl games. His college record in regular season was 97-19 overall. What if Seattle won back-to-back titles? You would be saying Seattle had their own dynasty, although not as big as the Patriots or present day Chiefs. Before Pete Caroll took the job at USC, he had gigs that did not go well with the Jets and Patriots in the NFL. That was many moons ago and Caroll has evolved and learned from those experiences. As an NFL coach, Caroll has a record of 170-120-1 as he is 30 games away from 200 wins in the NFL.

Every team in the AFC West has a better roster and quarterback than the Raiders. If you are Pete Caroll, do you think Aidan O’Connell can be the guy behind center in the future? He has made small strides. Do you think the Raiders set up a Caroll reunion with Russell Wilson? Wilson versus the Broncos intensifies that rivalry with all the wasted money Denver spent on the former Seattle QB and how he irked some of his teammates who are still playing there. Can Caroll set up that Legion of Boom defense like he had in Seattle? Maxx Crosby is a nice starting piece building that kind of defense. Caroll has his work cut out for him as this will be a project for him. His presence in Seattle meant he was an instant winner. For a guy like Mark Davis, who can’t even get his hair cut right with that bowl style do. He has not done well as an owner like his father Al Davis. You have to make a deal with the devils of the past to be the devils of the future like the red team in the division. Tom Brady was the first Lucifer who he let buy in. Now Brady thinks Carroll will give this Raiders team stability in the future starting with present times. The Raiders got their Randall Flagg. Now the AFC West teams not named the Chiefs have followed each other’s path of getting the MAN to help their own franchise get better and knock off Andy Reid and Kansas City. The sin city team may be behind the 8 ball, but these new hires could be in the Chiefs rear view mirror soon as objects are closer than you think.

NFL PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: THE 2025 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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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

THE ASSASSIN NEVER ENDED THE STINGLEY FOOTBALL FAMILY

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Back in the 1970’s, football on the gridiron was a much different game than present times. The vicious hits a defender could get away with. In today’s game the league and fans would want the defender’s head using their helmet as a wrecking ball. Launching your self in the air like a heat seeking missile. Don’t get me wrong, today’s game is still violent. Yesterday’s game was an MMA fight in the octagon. Perhaps a better way of describing it it is Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome. In 1978 in a preseason game, the Assassin struck a vicious blow on the Stingley family. Nicknamed the Assassin, Jack Tatum played for the Oakland Raiders at the safety position. He was nicknamed the Assassin because he laid people out. In that game in 1978 between the Raiders and Patriots, he put a vicious hit on wide receiver Darryl Stingley and ended his career. Darryl was paralyzed and would never walk again. You would think that would be the end of football in the Stingley family for generations to come. However that was not the case as Darryl’s son would play football and his son Derek Jr. is in his third season with the Houston Texans, made the Pro-Bowl, and was named All-Pro corner back this season.

Darryl Stingley’s son Derek was 7 years old when his father was paralyzed. Darryl was born in Chicago in 1951. He played his college ball at the University of Purdue. In 1973 he was drafted by the Patriots in the 1st round of the NFL draft 19th overall. He played 5 seasons in the NFL, all with the Patriots. He was coming off his best season in the NFL before his career ended with that vicious hit that compressed his spinal cord and broke his cervical vertebrae. All of which meant he had to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In 5 seasons Darryl played 60 games in the NFL, caught 110 balls tallying up 1,883 receiving yards, and hauled in 14 touchdown passes. From the wheelchair he never forced his son to play the game that sent him to that chair. His son Derek almost went in another direction. Instead of football he was going to play baseball.

Derek Stingley was born in the Windy City of Chicago in 1971. He followed his father and went to Purdue University. Derek played both football and baseball. He would end up graduating back at home from Triton College. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies. He played three seasons in the Phillies farm system. Then decided football was his real passion. Derek would make the Jets practice squad which is the furthest he ever followed his dad’s footsteps in the NFL. Derek had a solid life in Arena Football as you remember where quarterback Kurt Warner came from. After baseball he played with a semi-pro football team, the Louisiana Bayou Thunder. He played nine seasons in Arena Football and played a different position than his father. Defensive back. His father Darryl was on hand when he saw his son take a horrific hit by Thomas Orr of the New York City Hawks on June 14th, 1998. Derek was unconscious for ten minutes on the turf. Many thought this was going to be like father like son. That did not happen as Derek suffered a concussion and would play again. In 1999 the Jets signed Derek to their practice squad. In 1999 he made the All Arena team. He was part of the Arena Bowl championship team with the Albany Fire Birds. He did play for his home team, the Chicago Rush. He racked up 443.5 tackles with 19 interceptions in his Arena Football career. He also went into coaching after his playing days came to an end. As a Arena Football head coach, he had a record of 9-32 which is not very good. He is still coaching today.

I was watching the Texans’ last two playoff games and I was impressed with how Derek Stingley Jr. played. I would definitely want him on my team. Derek Jr. was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on June 20th, 2001. You have to wonder if his father, Senior, set down roots in the state of Louisiana when he first played semi pro football after he was done playing baseball. At the age of 5 Derek Jr. had his grandfather Darryl die in 2007. He always remembered getting the cool Darth Vader stuff from his Grandpa for his birthday. Derek Jr. would take a different path than his father and grandfather. He would play his college football at LSU and he would follow his father and play defense. Derek Jr. was drafted high like his grandfather. In 2022 the Houston Texans selected Derek Jr. in the first round number 3 overall after one hell of a career at LSU. Derek Jr. has three full NFL seasons under his belt. He had 5 interceptions this season on Houston’s defense that had the most interceptions in the league during regular season. In the wild card round, Derek Jr. intercepted two Justin Herbert passes versus the Chargers, a game the Texans won. One of those interceptions he ran back for a defensive touchdown. Derek Jr. made the Pro Bowl this season and has 37 games under his belt with 11 career regular season interceptions. Derek Jr. is heading down a path where he may be the best ever to play the game in the Stingley family. A family where they bleed football. It could have easily been a different story after that devastating hit that crippled his grandfather. Or even his father being knocked out for ten total minutes laying on the turf with everyone watching breathless. Praying and hoping another family nightmare would not be happening again. In the military, how many families lost a loved one on the battle field which did not stop others members of those families from joining up to serve their country. You can say this about the Police getting killed in the line of duty. Then another member of your family follows your footprints. Actor Tom Selleck’s Blue Bloods, is a police drama that lasted over a decade where policing was the family business. In the 1990’s movie, Back Draft, their is a family of firefighters. Killed in the line of duty from a bad fire. Never stopped the family from following in the footsteps of their loved ones. Theses things happen from occupations that are dangerous to mankind.

What could have Darryl Stingley’s career been if he did not get paralyzed? He came off a 39 catch year with 657 yards and a 5 touchdown season. His best season. As for Jack Tatum he would play 136 games in the NFL in a football career that lasted ten seasons. He had 37 interceptions in his career. He played 9 seasons wearing the silver and black. He played his last season as an Oiler for the city of Houston in 1980. The Assassin was a 3x Pro Bowler. He was part of a Raiders Superbowl title. In 1979 after that Tatum hit on Darryl, the NFL changed their rules outlawing the use of the helmet to butt, spear, or ram a opponent. Not to use the top or crown as a weapon of mass destruction. Let’s remember Tatum did not get flagged from that hit on Darryl. He did not get fined or suspended by the NFL. They say that Tatum never apologized after ending Darryl’s career. Jack Tatum did try to visit Darryl shortly after that game in the hospital, but the Stingley family turned him away. That hit defined Tatum for the rest of his career. Tatum would later show no remorse in two books he wrote about his playing days and his life. The first one was called “They Call Me the Assassin,” and the second one, “They Still Call Me Assassin: Here We Go Again.” You have to imagine that hit and other hits made Tatum extra money in his life because of the nickname, assassin. It is a sad story because Darryl may have definitely lived a longer life not being confined to a wheelchair. It shows you something about a family overcoming tragedy and able to persevere like the Stingley family has. Derek Stingley Jr. may be the best yet. Perhaps another generation will appear down the line if he has kids. The Stingleys are the Blue Bloods and not even an assassin can stop them from having football in the blood because the family is stronger than anything.

JOSH ALLEN NEEDS TO BE AIR JORDAN-LIKE TO SLAY HIS KANSAS CITY DEMONS

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Before Michael Jordan won his first NBA title, his Chicago Bulls teams were bullied by the Detroit Pistons aka the Bad boys. Three straight seasons from 1988-1990, the Pistons eliminated the Bulls from the Eastern Conference post-season. Two of those seasons the Bulls and Pistons played in the Eastern Conference finals. The Pistons were nicknamed the Bad Boys because they completely mugged the opposing teams when they had the ball. The NBA actually played defense back then. The Pistons won back to back titles in 1989 and 1990. Many fans and experts thought Jordan would not get over the hurdle of the Pistons getting in their way. In 1991 the Bulls finally got past the Pistons in grand fashion and Air Jordan’s legendary status would take off and soar to new heights. The Bulls slayed their bully by sweeping the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. The Bulls would go to the finals, beat the LA Lakers, and win their first NBA title in their history. It was the first out of six from Air Jordan led teams. Can Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills finally get over the Chiefs hurdle, slay his demons, and do it in the Air Jordan style of fashion?

The Kansas City Chiefs have eliminated the Buffalo Bills from the post-season the last three seasons. This started in 2020 when the Bills and Chiefs met in Kansas City in the AFC Championship. Chiefs gave the Bills a beat down 38-24 ass kicking. In 2021 these two teams met up in the AFC Divisional round in an epic thriller. Perhaps one of the best games of all-time. The Chiefs beat the Bills 42-36 in overtime. Then last year again in the Divisional round, the Chiefs escaped Buffalo with a 27-24 win. It was the kick that went wide right for Tyler Bass and the Bills. The Bills found a way to get out of the divisional round yesterday by holding off the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs beat the Texans at Arrowhead on Saturday afternoon. Here we go again; the 4th playoff meeting between these two teams in Kansas City with a trip to New Orleans on the line for all the marbles – the AFC Championship. Can Josh Allen beat the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes in the 4th try in his back yard?

When Michael Jordan tangled with the Detroit Pistons, his nemesis was Isiah Thomas. Do you remember what Air Jordan said about Thomas on that ESPN documentary called The Last Dance? It was not love that Air Jordan was expressing about the former guard for the Pistons. For Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes is obviously his nemesis especially in the post-season. Allen has Mahomes’ number in the regular season as he has beaten Patrick 4 times, which you may call that the booby prizes.. Which is the most wins by any opposing Quarterback has beating the turd named Mahomes. Allen gave the Chiefs and Mahomes their first loss of the season in regular season. That was a 30-21 win by the Bills in front of the home fans, the Bills Mafia. The Chiefs only suffered two losses this season. The second loss by the Chiefs came from the Broncos in the last game of regular season when KC rested ten of their starters.

The Bulls/Pistons and Bills/Chiefs have other similarities. The Pistons and Chiefs both have that X-Factor playing the meathead role. The Pistons have center Bill Laimbeer who tortured teams with cheap shots after cheap shots on defense and going to the boards. The flagrant elbow calls that Laimbeer got away with back then. The Chiefs have Travis Kelce as their meat for brains. Every time that douche speaks to defend Patrick Mahomes, he sounds like Rocky Balboa on steroids. “Yo, Taylor Swift get over here.”

Taylor Swift is another reason most of America will get behind the Bills against Kansas City because of the camera shots of her during the game. Who cares about Swift and what the hell she is wearing? If the Chiefs win next Sunday then here we go again with Swift invading the sacred Superbowl show like bad halftime shows. Josh Allen and the Bills could save America just by exorcising their demons and slay the Chiefs dynasty. Will the NFL script allow that to happen? The Chiefs are nauseating as they won most of their games this season with some kind of break from a fluke blocked kick or penalty. I guess you can say the Bills got one of those Chiefs breaks when Ravens tight end Mark Andrews dropped the tying two point conversion try. However there was plenty of time on the clock left for the Bills to have won last night if the conversion was a success.

This is the game of sports where the ball can bounce your way at times. I think the Kansas City Chiefs had to use up all their 9 lives on breaks in these playoff games. We want to see the Chiefs fall flat and get knocked out. We want to see Josh Allen take his legendary status to the next level. Allen has played like a beast. Alien-like all year. It may be his time. His turn. It would not feel right if he did it without knocking off his nemesis, the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. Not saying the Bills would be instant winners in the Superbowl if they do beat Kansas City. Not sure how you would bet against them. I think it is time for Josh Allen to do his Michael Jordan impression finally taking down the bad boys. For Allen beating the Chiefs could change the NFL football landscape for years to come. The Patriots dynasty crumbled. Who would not want to see the Kansas City get the Nuggies kicked out them and finally see less of these nauseating State Farm commercials. Let’s root for Josh Alien Allen to have his finest moment of his career and end the tyranny of the Chiefs. Hope he does it Air Jordan-like where the Pistons refused to shake the Bulls’ hands after being eliminated.

NFL PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: THE 2025 DIVISIONAL ROUND

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Wild Card record last week: (3-3)

The Wild Card weekend was a disappointment in picking the winners. We got the easy ones. The two games that could have gone either way, we lost on them. I think most people had Chargers picked over the Texans. This weekend we hope to redeem ourselves with a better day at the office.

NFL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND (DIVISIONAL) STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE SATURDAY GAMES

AFC

#4.HOUSTON TEXANS (11-7) AT #1.KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (15-2)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: CHIEFS (2-0) TEXANS

The Chiefs were the number one seed, had a bye last week, and are well rested. In the last game of regular season, Kansas City rested 10 starters including Patrick Mahomes. The Texans throttled the Chargers in the Wild Card round. Either the Texans found their mojo from last year or the Chargers are a very bad team.

The road to the Chiefs three peat starts in this match up. Patrick Mahomes has another switch in post-season as he is (15-3) all-time. Just sick!!! Meanwhile CJ Stroud in his first two seasons in the NFL has notched a playoff win in the Wild Card round.

The Chiefs and Texans met up in December in which Kansas City won that game (27-19) and did it rather easily. The Texans will need their defense to stand tall like they did against the Chargers putting pressure on Justin Herbert and forced 4 turnovers. The Texans pass rush did well but now face a different animal that is impossible to cage in. Patrick Mahomes can pull the ole Houdini act on any defense in the league and make plays happen on the fly. The Texans will need another big game out of that nut job running back they have, Joe Mixon, comparing these Texans to the past Bengals team that went to the Superbowl. This Texans team is nowhere close to that Bengals squad. CJ Stroud has two of their biggest weapons out with season ending injuries. Meanwhile the Chiefs aerial attack just got better with Hollywood Brown back from an injury and he has the rust knocked off him as he has played a few games to close out the regular season. They have the speedster Xavier Worthy. Let’s not forget the meathead at tight end position Travis Kelce. It’s not happening at least this round that the Texans can go on the road playing in the cold at Arrowhead Stadium and winning. That would be like the Washington Generals beating the Harlem Globe Trotters. It’s not happening. The Chiefs defense will play well. Mahomes will razzle dazzle the crowd like a point guard on the hardwood floors and dish out the ball to all his guys as the Texans will have no clue how to stop it. Mahomes stays a BEAST in the post-season.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

NFC

#6.WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (13-5) AT #1.DETROIT LIONS (15-2)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: WASHINGTON (3-0) DETROIT

The Lions carved up the Vikings in the last game of regular season to get the number one seed. They had a week off earning themselves a bye. Jayden Daniels had himself an impressive playoff debut as the Commanders knocked off the Buccaneers with the walk off doink kick in the last few ticks left on the clock.

The Commanders had a stretch back in regular season where they lost to teams with winning records in close games. It seems like Jayden Daniels has figured out how to win close games against good teams. Daniels led a nice drive down the field to upend the Eagles late in the season. The Commanders beat a solid Buccaneers team with Baker Mayfield who was coming into post-season as one of the hottest quarterbacks in the tournament. The Lions will get their two headed monster at running back for this game. David Montgomery will be suiting up for this one. Montgomery has been out for several weeks with a knee injury. The Lions defense played well against the Vikings offense who can put up points on the scoreboard. They held them to 9 in that last regular season game. That is the biggest question for this Lions team. Can they defend in the playoffs with all those injuries? The Lions offense have tallied up 2,669 (YAC) Yards after the catch which averages out to 6.7 per reception which is one of the top in the NFL. The Commanders defense can tackle. They have allowed a league low of only 1,551 YAC after the catch. Who wins that battle should decide this game. I think the Commanders will give the Lions a scare in this one. Look for Detroit to run a well balanced attack with the run game and aerial attack to bleed the clock dry most of the game. Daniels will make some big plays in this one. I think the pressure will mount too high on the rookie quarterback and that will lead to some mistakes. You know Jared Goff will have a mistake free game is what my gut is telling me. The Lions at home will rule this jungle. After Saturday both number one seeds stay alive.

OUR PICK: LIONS

THE SUNDAY GAMES

NFC

#4.LA RAMS (11-7) AT #2.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (15-3)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: RAMS (2-1) EAGLES

The Eagles churned the Packers into Swiss cheese last week in the Wild Card round. The Rams adjusted going on the road to Arizona to play their home game there due to the wild fires in LA. The Rams took care of business at Cardinals stadium and put down the Vikings with ease.

Jalen Hurts evened up his playoff record at (3-3) with the win at home last weekend. Matthew Stafford now is a game over the .500 mark with his win in Arizona and is now has a 5-4 record in post-season play.

In week 12 the Eagles gashed the Rams defense for 314 rushing yards for the win. The Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley had 255 yards on the ground. The Rams are 3-2 on the road under Sean McVay in post-season. The Eagles defense had a solid week forcing the Packers into multiple mistakes and coming away with turnovers. I think the Rams will throw everything including the kitchen sink at the Eagles running game. They want Jalen Hurts to throw the ball to beat them. The Eagles defense will face their challenges with Matthew Stafford’s aerial attack. Stafford really did not have access to all his weapons in that win last week versus the Vikings. Stafford has played well in post-season wearing a Rams uniform. Can LA who are coming all the way from the warm west coast win a playoff game in cold conditions? At Philadelphia with a crazy fan base that will be loud and energetic. This will be a close game. I think Hurts will just do enough in this one to get his Eagles by the Rams. I like the Eagles defense who are coached by Vic Fangio. That is my decider in this contest. Eagles defend their home from the invaders.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

AFC

#3.BALTIMORE RAVENS(13-5) AT #2.BUFFALO BILLS(14-4)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: BILLS (1-0) RAVENS

The Ravens beat up their division rival the Steelers last week at home. The Bills gave the visiting Broncos a second half beat down in Buffalo last weekend.

Lamar Jackson looks like he now has the Steelers’ number which was not the story coming into the season. Jackson now has beaten the Steelers in back to back games going back to the regular season. He improves his post-season record to 3-4 all-time. Josh Allen has mastered the Wild Card round and is now 6-5 in the post-season.

This is the game of the weekend. You have two quarterbacks that have been the debate all year by the experts or at your bar stool over who should be the MVP. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are duel threats and they are number 1 & 2 in NFL playoff history with rushing yards for a quarterback. Jackson has 602 yards and has played less post-season games than Allen. Allen has ran for 609 rushing yards and has played more post-season games. These two teams met during regular season and the Ravens gave the Bills a beat down at home in that one. The Ravens unleashed Derrick Henry on the Bills banged up defense as he steamrolled for 199 rushing yards in that Ravens win. This go around the game is in Buffalo and the Bills will have their linebackers for this one. The first meeting the Bills were without three defensive pieces that start with Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard and Taron Johnson. The last time the Bills and Ravens met in post-season was in the divisional round in 2020 as the Bills advanced to the AFC championship game when they met the Chiefs in that epic playoff game that went to OT. Can the Bills stop the Ravens running game? That is the biggest key for Buffalo. Can the Ravens defense contain Allen in the pocket? That is a key for Baltimore. The Ravens defense is stout versus the run. Allen may have to beat them with the pass. However it will be in single digits in Buffalo on Sunday. The running game for both teams will be high priority. This game could go either way. As a football fan which team would you rather see knock out the Chiefs next week? Kansas City has gotten both these franchises and knocked them both out the post-season last year. If you could only combine both teams against Kansas City. That is not going to happen. Lamar Jackson really has not played in any games this cold. The coldest game for him was in the 20’s. The Bills are undefeated at home this season. I like Allen breaking through this divisional round as history does repeat itself in these NFL games. Allen to me has the better completion percentage and can beat you with his arm if he has to. This Bills offense is designed to beat you a few ways. Jackson will look like a freeze pop and make the mistakes that will cost the Ravens this game. The Bills defense my gut feeling says will play their best game of the year as they are healthy.

OUR PICK: BILLS

THE LUCK OF THE FITZMAGIC

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In the wild card round last weekend, the Bills Legend of the Game was former defensive lineman, Kyle Williams. The Legend of the Game’s job in Buffalo is to pump up the crowd before the game. Right before the kickoff between the visiting Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills, Williams’ speech was an oldie but a goody for the Bills Mafia.

Kyle Williams delivered as he screamed through the microphone as every Bills fan even not at Highmark Stadium around the nation had that ringing through their ears sending goose bumps in a feeding frenzy on their arms. Kyle used the Bills former legendary head coach Marv Levy’s line. “Where else would you rather be as the crowd screamed… BUFFALO!”

The Bills went on and won that game with the second half slaughter of the ponies from Denver. Now the Bills brass turns the Legend of the Game to former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as the Legend of the Game in the divisional round on Sunday night versus the Baltimore Ravens. The Bills Mafia are excited as Fitzpatrick has been a fan favorite and they are hoping to have the luck of the FITZMAGIC paying off dividends in this clash of titans match up between the visiting Ravens and Buffalo.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was originally drafted by the LA Rams back in 2005 in the 7th round of the NFL draft from Harvard University. He has played for nine different teams in the NFL. The list starts with the Rams, Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Bengals, Buccaneers, Titans, Texans, and the Redskins. Fitzpatrick played in 166 NFL games and had a record of 59-87-1 with 34,990 passing yards. He threw 223 touchdown passes and was always a gunslinger at heart. When you’re a gunslinger, you are going to throw interceptions and he had 169 of them. Fitzpatrick’s 17 year NFL career he played with the Bills the longest which was 4 seasons. During those 4 seasons he had a 20-33 record completing 59.8% of his passes for 11,654 passing yards with 80 touchdown passes and 64 interceptions in 55 games. The Bills went through a 17 year post-season drought and during that span Fitzpatrick was probably the team’s best QB. After Buffalo, Fitzpatrick and his beard became a mercenary, a QB for hire, and went team to team. He never guided a team to the post-season but came close. During 17 years in the NFL, his 223 touchdown passes were the most thrown ever by an Ivy league graduate. In 2018 wearing a Buccaneers uniform, he threw over 400 passing yards in 3 consecutive games which is a NFL record he has to himself. He has thrown 4 total games with 400 or more passing yards in his career which is tied with the great Dan Marino and Peyton Manning for the most all-time in NFL history. Being QB for hire has set some other NFL records. He is the first ever QB to start for 9 different teams. He is also the first QB to throw at least one touchdown pass for 8 different franchises. The Redskins were the only team he played for that he did not get that touchdown pass.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has a 17 year career in the NFL and is now an analyst for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime video. Obviously still saving that Harvard education for a rainy day. In 17 years in the NFL with multiple teams, he probably had great memories at each place. His home was where he played the most games. The place he became a bonafide NFL quarterback wearing a Bills uniform. Wearing that number 14. As he built up a relationship with one of the best fan bases in sports, the Bills Mafia which never forgets. In January of 2022 when the Bills were at home for a playoff game against the hated Patriots, guess who was shirtless in the crowd with his sons rooting on the Bills.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was. The Bills won that game against their archrival that night. Fitzpatrick as an Amazon Prime analyst always shows the love of the Bills over the years. After one of the Thursday night games, Josh Allen met with the post-game show which included Fitzpatrick wearing one of his old number 14 jerseys. Then this past season Fitzpatrick went shirtless on the set after a Bills win during the post-game show.

That night Josh Allen was the guest once again and Fitzpatrick finished the show shirtless. So obviously Fitzmagic is a great pick for the Legend of Honors guest this weekend when the Bills will need that crowd pumped up and more versus a great Ravens team. The biggest question of the day: Will Fitzpatrick be firing up this crowd shirtless in single digit weather this Sunday night or will he be covered from his waist and up? If you’re a Bills fan, your pecking order of favorite QB all time might be Josh Allen Jim Kelly flipped either way at 1 and 2. I was not around for the 1960’s or the 70’s watching the Bills quarterback play back then. Number three could be Doug Flutie or Ryan Fitzpatrick. You could flip those two choices either way as well. We know Fitzpatrick pumping up the crowd will be legendary and “must see” television. If the Bills win, Fitzpatrick may be a staple at the Legend of the Game status for years to come. Let’s hope they do win. Nothing wrong with a little luck of the FITZMAGIC for the Buffalo Bills and the Mafia.

SORTING OUT THE BIGGEST LOSERS IN THE 2024 NFL REGULAR SEASON

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The NFL is must see television for what takes place on the field and off the field. We have come up with the ten people that we think were the biggest losers this season in the NFL and hurt their own team in the process. Guys that get paid millions of dollars to act like spoiled children. Some of them had temper tantrums and lost their cool. Some of these guys should call it a career and hang up the spikes for the the performance just on the field. I even threw one owner under the bus because he should sell the team not knowing anything about the game itself. Not putting the right people in charge. I could have added other owners as well. All these guys should be heckled for what they have done this season in some way or the other. I have a list of ten names starting with top of the barrel pond scum working all the way down to the depths of just putrefied organisms that don’t need light to survive.

#10. DE’VONDE CAMPBELL 49ERS

Once you quit on your own team, there is no turning back. No way to spin the situation to your own favor. It was a Thursday night game between the 49ers and Rams. De’Vonde Campbell made 12 starts this season at outside linebacker for the 49ers replacing the injured Dre Greenlaw. When Greenlaw came back, Campbell went to the bench. Greenwell re-injured himself in that first game he played. Campbell refused to go into the game, walked off the field, and headed back to the locker room. Dude, why did you even suit up for the game? The 49ers pretty much after the game released Campbell. He annoyed many of his teammates in the process pulling a move like that. Campbell has played in the NFL 9 seasons & probably has made enough money to retire. I don’t think he will field any offers from other teams any time soon.

#9. SHAHID KHAN

I would be nauseated to be a Jacksonville Jaguar fan. Believe me people have witnessed me being a Bears fan and we have one of the worst owners in the NFL. Anytime the Jaguars find their way to the post-season after piling up bad season after bad season, it crumbles right away. Is Trevor Lawrence a stud or dud quarterback? How many coaches has Shahid Khan been through since he purchased this team? The whispers you heard about him wanting to move the Jaguars to London, England are so irritating. Why do the Jaguars still play multiple games in England every season? Doug Pederson looked like a good hire. The Florida sun melted his brain away as he was fired on Black Monday. Who will the big name be this time? The uniforms are hideous. The team looked like it had promise for years to come and then goes to shambles that quickly. I’d rather have Kobra Khan owning the Jaguars which is the least talked about Florida team in the state, than Mr. Oil Wells Shahid or however he became a rich cat. Mr. needs to hire somebody that knows football. Someone that can find that next head coach they need. Stay out of London. Just stay out of the football operations period.

#8. ODELL BECKHAM JR.

Odell Beckham Jr. is a dog that should be put down. He should not be some final piece for some playoff team in some crazy idea to help them win the Superbowl. He was supposed to be that 3rd winger in the Miami aerial attack that was going to be the better version of the greatest show on turf the 1999 Rams. In 9 games, Beckham had 9 catches for 55 yards. The Dolphins eventually cut ties with him. It seems like the injury with the Rams in the Superbowl is still lingering. He did have a big game in that Superbowl before going down with an injury. No front office in the league should pay this dirt bag more than the minimum next year. He should just hang up the spikes and call it a career is what my eyes are telling me. Take him to the vet and put him down. He’s the kind of dog you take out back of the shed.

#7. KIRK COUSINS OR THE ATLANTA FALCONS

Can you blame Kirk Cousins taking a 4 year deal worth 180 million? No way I’m turning down that kind of cheddar. Cousins got this type of money coming off a serious Achilles tendon injury with Minnesota during the 2023 season. Cousins went 7-7 as a starter for the Falcons. He finished with 18 touchdown passes compared to 16 interceptions. He was rusty out of the gates. Captain Kirk got better as the season went on. The Falcons at one point looked like they would win the NFC South. Then the wheels came off the bus towards the end of the season for Cousins as he looked bad. More interceptions than touchdown passes down the stretch. Definitely not worth that amount of money he got paid. The Falcons were getting criticized for drafting Michael Penix number 8 in the NFL draft after giving the big money to Cousins. Penix looks like a solid pick. Now you’re stuck with Cousins eating away the salary cap next season if you don’t trade him. How many stupid Cleveland Browns franchises are out there that would want to trade for Cousins? Speaking of the Browns, they need a QB. You’re stuck with cap problems now in Atlanta. Cousins could be better next season after only one full season since the injury. He’s 36 years of age and he should have never got that kind of money in the first place. Now you have Penix. You do not need Cousins. But you may be stuck with the most expensive back up QB in the league.

#6. AZEEZ AL SHAAIR HOUSTON TEXANS

Azeez Al-Shaair was suspended for three games for a hit on Jacksonville’s Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he gave himself up on a slide. Al-Shaair ended up hitting Lawrence in the head and knocked him out of the game. Lawrence would be carted off with a concussion. Al-Shaair then was involved in the brawl between the Jaguars and the Texans that took place after the hit. Then he was kicked out of the game and heading into the locker room. Then things would get hostile again with more Jaguars players. He had his helmet off during some of this conflict and looked like a mad man possessed. The Texans line backer was fined twice for late hits out of bounds before he ended Lawrence’s season. When he played for the 49ers years before he had one play, he clutched Tom Brady’s throat a few years back. We may give him a hall pass on that play. Of course he apologized after the game in hopes the league would go easier on him after the Lawrence hit. He said he went to a dark place after the suspension. Tick tick tick. Just like a time bomb ready to explode as he most likely will not learn from flying off the handle like he done.

#5.TYREEK HILL MIAMI DOLPHINS

Tyreek Hill is another guy that quit on his team in the last week of regular season. The Dolphins needed to beat the Jets. They also needed the Broncos to lose to the Chiefs to qualify for post-season. The Chiefs rested many of their starters and the Broncos pretty much had an easy day at the office. Meanwhile the Dolphins were losing to the Jets. You have to think Hill was scoreboard watching in the 3rd quarter. That is when he walked off the field and called it a day and a season. The words from his teammate were caught on the microphone from wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with his hands up in confusion. “Hey Cheetah. You done?”

The clock was stopped as the Jets had challenged the previous play late in the third. Hill sat down on the bench the Dolphins would go on without their star receiver down only 18-6 with plenty of time remaining. After the game, Hill would say to reporters that he was dealing with an issue. Everyone assuming an injury. McGenius Mike McDaniel after the game said he was unaware of any injury. Even though he knew that post-season was not in the cards this season, he left his brothers to fight the rest of the battle. A division rival is enough to play for? Even ending the season on a high note with a win can benefit the team next year. Leaving your guys out there too while he sat on the bench is why this prima dona makes this list. He has always had that reputation of a guy that needs the ball or else he will bitch. He thinks he walks on water. No I in team Mr. Hill. Which is giving him too much respect.

#4. AARON RODGERS

Why would the New York Jets bring back Aaron Rodgers? Just because he beat the Dolphins in the last week of the season. Rodgers now joins that elite 500 touchdown club of quarterbacks to have thrown that many touchdown passes. He made history, but Rodgers has single-handedly destroyed the Jets team this season. The Jets were in need of a quarterback before they signed Rodgers. At the time they had a young stud defense. They had some intriguing play makers both at the running back position and in the wide receiver room. Signing Rodgers was going to solve all their problems. It did not happen. In year one Rodgers would only last a few plays in his Jets debut as he tore his Achilles tendon and was sidelined for the entire season. Rodgers played all the games this past regular season. He got the Jets head coach fired. He even got the Jets General Manager fired. After all the moves he made, Rodgers did not pan out. Rodgers played most of the season like shit. He blamed others rather than taking the blame himself on why the team was a disappointment. He was a cancer in that Jets locker room. It’s time for Rodgers to go back to the darkness retreat cave and hang up the spikes for good. I know he will resurface with another team because he will want more touchdown passes than his former teammate, Brett Farve. Which he is not far away in the pecking order. Some stupid team will take a risk on Rodgers once again. He may follow the same Farve path and go to Minnesota after his Jets career comes crashing down.

#3. TYRIQUE STEVENSON

The corner back for the Chicago Bears is more mush mouth than a defender in the NFL. Tyrique Stevenson has been in the NFL two seasons and the Bears should have cut him for taunting fans in Washington in the last play of the game with time still on the clock. It could happen to anyone. No, it does not. It happens to stupid people who want to be noticed and want to be important. Jayden Daniels and the Commanders set up for the Hail Mary play while Stevenson was taunting the Washington fan base on the field. He then was late to the party in the end zone as he let his guy be wide open in the end zone. Instead of covering the open man, he went for the ball. The ball was tipped right to an open receiver and Commanders win the game. Stevenson turns into a laughing stock and the butt of all jokes around the water cooler Monday morning. He has not learned his lesson after that game. Still taunting players on the other team and hooting and hollering. He has probably cost the Bears more games with his play than actually helping your team win games.

#2.DESHAUN WATSON

Karma is a bitch you scum bag. Deshaun Watson is a sociopath who will never admit he is wrong in being a sexual predator. His play on the field this season means he should look in the mirror because he is not worth 230 million dollars as the Browns made the worst trade in NFL history… period. On October 20th, Deshaun Watson’s season ended when he tore his Achilles tendon. It’s the second year in a row where his season ended early with an injury.The Dawg Pound, which is the home crowd for the Browns, booed him off the field because he is a dirt bag. Not because he was injured. Watson blamed others this season yelling at his offensive linemen because of his bad play. Just like having over 20 different women file sexual assault charges against you. In which you paid them to go away. If that is not guilty, then give me a million dollars and I’ll write sweet things about you. Karma bit him in the rear recently as he tore the same Achilles tendon practicing in Miami and will need another 7 months to recover and may miss most of the 2025 season. I will not celebrate someone being injured even if it’s a dirt bag like Watson. Watson should not be the second highest paid player in the NFL. He still has two years remaining on his deal. He would be better just to go away and perhaps join Aaron Rodgers in his darkness retreat cave. He will eventually resurface. Snakes usually do.

#1 GEORGE PICKENS

The Pittsburgh Steelers really know how to draft bipolar play makers. Everyone remembers crazy Antonio Brown who has played most of his NFL career without a full deck upstairs. Let’s not forget running back Le’Veon Bell, another doozy the Steelers drafted. The latest Steeler play maker that has a few missing screws in his head is wide receiver George Pickens. He’s only in his third year in the NFL and looked like he was going to be a solid receiver for the Steelers for years to come. The great Pickens blamed the snow as the big reason why Jameis Winston and the Browns beat the Steelers. Like it was not snowing when the Browns had the ball and scored in that game. In the final play of that game after the failed Hail Mary, Pickens got into a scuffle with Browns corner back Greg Newsome II. The two got tangled up on the final play. Then weeks later Pickens is targeted 6 times versus the Bengals and he dropped three of them and ended up with zero yards for the day. Pickens’ demeanor was pathetic on the sidelines in the last few weeks. He was upset with fans and was held back in one occasion. He was late for the Christmas game when the Steelers played the Chiefs that afternoon. The Steelers fans would love to ride this guy out of town. Look for Pickens to be in another uniform next season. It does not pay to be young and stupid.