Tag: 2024 NFL Playoffs

The Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl because they have the memory of a goldfish

The Ravens gave Kansas City reason to back off their game plan early. The Chiefs held true, and now they’re going to the Super Bowl.

This was not the Kansas City Chiefs we’re used to. Patrick Mahomes’ receiving corps was whittled down to one trustable wideout who happened to be a rookie. Travis Kelce was another year into his 30s. Their opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, had the presumptive NFL MVP behind center and few weaknesses to exploit.

Yet here they are, coming off their sixth straight AFC title game. Headed to their fourth Super Bowl in six years thanks to a 17-10 victory in Baltimore Sunday.

This was a team that knew it could get torched by Lamar Jackson because it *was* torched by Lamar Jackson. The first quarter of this game looked like a preview into a shootout thanks in large part to one brilliant play that took Kansas City’s defensive aggression and turned it upside down via impossible athleticism:

Overreacting would have meant easing off the gas. One week earlier, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s aggression dialed up 10 blitzes on 39 Josh Allen dropbacks, which the similarly slippery quarterback escaped en route to zero sacks, 72 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns and nearly cost Kansas City the game. It would have been a reasonable adjustment.

And as Sunday’s game proved, an unnecessary one. Spagnuolo’s aggression kept Jackson wading through crowded pockets all afternoon, sacking him four times in 41 dropbacks. Half those sacks came on key third downs in the second half as Baltimore tried to battle back from a 17-7 deficit.

It wasn’t just Spagnuolo’s aggression that paid off. The Chiefs’ defense played with the discipline needed to erase Jackson’s off-the-cuff improvisations before they could get too dangerous. That group was table to take a situation where the likely MVP had more than 11 seconds to throw the ball or take off with it and run on third down and turned it into a loss of two:

But the most impactful play hinged on star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed’s ability to brush off one awful snap and trade it in for an incredible one. With 32 seconds to play in the third quarter, his secondary blanked Zay Flowers for what would be a 54-yard gain into Kansas City’s red zone. But it net just 39 yards after Flowers got dinged for a well-deserved taunting flag.

This could have rattled Sneed or pushed him to retaliate in a truly stupid way. Instead, he got perfect, beautiful revenge.

This didn’t just take a touchdown off the board — a play worth -5.2 expected points added, per RBSDM.com. It also sent a frustrated Flowers to the bench, where he cut his hand either slamming down his helmet or punching something inanimate, depending on the sideline report. His inability to shake off a bad decision meant Baltimore had to mount its comeback without him; the Ravens’ WR1 didn’t have a single target after this.

This limited an offense that ranked third in points per play in 2023 to a single touchdown Sunday and just three points after the first quarter. That wasn’t the only place where a short memory came in handy.

Tony Romo once again called a playoff game like your drunk uncle and got dragged for it

“In games like this, the ball matters more than any other game.” Oh, OK.

Tony Romo is on the precipice of calling the first Super Bowl of his broadcasting career. If you expected this to get him to refocus his efforts and return to the roots that made him one of the NFL’s more enlightening color commentators, you were incorrect.

Romo continued to lean into his worst instincts in the both during Sunday’s showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. His inarticulate “oh my god” reactions to great plays continued, giving folks at home watching with vaguely stoned friends the chance to hear it in stereo. His on-field experience occasionally pointed out audibles and coverage schemes and occasionally made no damn sense whatsoever.

Minutes later, he’d tell a Chiefs team with three timeouts and Patrick Mahomes behind center with fewer than two minutes left in the first half “I would tell you to be safe here, as a quarterback.” That drive resulted in in a called-back touchdown before a field goal gave Kansas City a 17-7 halftime lead.

Romo was more composed in the latter two quarters of a more subdued game. Still, it was not the kind of performance you’d expect from someone getting paid nearly $1 million per game to sit atop CBS’s announce teams.

As usual, fans, analysts and NFL veterans alike noticed. And they took to Twitter to work through their frustrations.

Lions – 49ers referees: Who’s officiating the NFC championship game?

Here’s who the referees will be for Lions – Niners.

It’s time to find out who’s going to play in Super Bowl 58 from the NFC side.

We’ll find out on Sunday in the NFC championship game. Will the Lions finally make it to the NFL’s title game? Or are the Niners destined to go once again?

We don’t know that answer yet. What we do know is who the referee and officials who will be working the playoff game. In case you want to know who they are, here you go:

Referee: Clete Blakeman

Umpire: Barry Anderson

Down judge: Dana McKenzie

Line judge: Rusty Baynes

Field judge: Anthony Flemming

Side judge: Chad Hill

Back judge: Grantis Bell

Replay: Chad Adams

Lamar Jackson proved why he’ll be 2023 NFL MVP with 1 AFC title game play

Jackson turned an eight-yard loss into a 30-yard touchdown with a quick duck and a flick of his arm.

Lamar Jackson is your 2023 NFL MVP.

It isn’t official yet, of course. The Associated Press’s voting is done, but the trophy won’t be handed out until the night before Super Bowl 58. But with a trip to said championship game on the line, Jackson showed the world why he’ll be the man at the podium at the end of the night — or accepting via proxy since he’s got more important business that needs tending.

His Baltimore Ravens needed a response after a three-and-out gave the Kansas City Chiefs room to stake an early 7-0 lead in the AFC title game behind Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. While the Chiefs’ pressure had found success earlier in the drive, this time it could do nothing against a truly impossible athlete.

If you don’t feel like clicking play a) why not, this play ruled and b) the gist of it is, Jackson took this scenario in which he’s staring down an almost certain eight-yard loss via sack:

via CBS

And turned it into a 30-yard touchdown. It was beautiful. And, as is tradition, fans and analysts lost their minds online.

Chiefs – Ravens referees: Who’s officiating the AFC championship game?

Here’s who the referees will be for Chiefs – Ravens.

It’s time to find out who’s going to play in Super Bowl 58 from the AFC side.

We’ll find out on Sunday in the AFC championship game. Will the Ravens get back to the NFL’s title game? Or are the Chiefs destined to go yet another time in recent years?

We don’t know that answer yet. What we do know is who the referee and officials who will be working the playoff game. In case you want to know who they are, here you go:

Referee: Shawn Smith

Umpire: Roy Ellison

Down judge: Jerod Phillips

Line judge: Jeff Seeman

Field judge: Nate Jones

Side judge: Anthony Jeffries

Back judge: Dino Paganelli

Replay: Mike Wimmer

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce kept tossing Justin Tucker’s equipment in a Chiefs-Ravens warmup spat

Justin Tucker never stood a chance.

Pre-game warmup real estate is apparently at a premium in Baltimore because a few future Hall of Famers from the Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs went at it over a small piece of field before the AFC championship game Sunday.

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker was doing some stretching near one of the goal-lines before the game, and it was the same place Patrick Mahomes was warming up with a few throws. It’s unclear who was there first or had claim to the spot from videos shared by NFL Network’s James Palmer, but it was clear who was going to be there last.

Mahomes and Travis Kelce kicked and tossed aside Tucker’s tee a few times, and Kelce also tossed Tucker’s helmet and two footballs.

It’s unclear if Tucker was being an intentional irritant or if he was genuinely warming up as usual. Either way, that’s some tough treatment in your own stadium.

The non-QBs who could pave the way to the Super Bowl for all 4 conference championship teams

We know guys like Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are vital. But they’ve got teammates who could pave the path to Super Bowl 58.

The quarterbacks who’ll take the field in 2024’s NFL conference championship games are all familiar faces. Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff have each been to the Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson is headed to his second MVP. Brock Purdy went from Mr. Irrelevant at the 2022 NFL Draft to 20-5 as a starting quarterback and finished 2023 as the regular season’s most efficient passer.

Each will have a massive effect on how their title games turn out and whether or not they make it to Super Bowl 58. That weight won’t be solely on their shoulders — and some players can expect a heavier load than others.

These players are too well known to be X factors, but don’t rise to the level of obvious importance as their quarterbacks. Let’s talk about the guys who could swing the Super Bowl matchup with a single play or, more likely, a whole bunch of them.

Mics caught Mitch Morse encouraging old teammate Travis Kelce after Chiefs-Bills game

Well, this is just awesome.

The Kansas City Chiefs won their latest playoff battle with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but sportsmanship still showed through for two old teammates after the game.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Bills center Mitch Morse played together in Kansas City for a few seasons before the latter left for Buffalo in 2019.

As the two greeted each other on the field after the game, Morse shared a special message with Kelce, applauding his career and encouraging him to go all the way with Kansas City this season.

It’s the kind of friendly reunion that shows the game of football is always bigger than the game itself, and it’s just always heartwarming to see two old friends still exchange pleasantries after a tough contest.

The Chiefs will have their hands full this weekend when they travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens, but Kelce can know his old pal Morse will be rooting him on.

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Jared Goff had a playful exchange with reporter over Lions’ lack of star power compared with the 49ers’

Jared Goff, probably: “I see the 49ers’ talent and raise you the Detroit Lions’.”

The Detroit Lions are loaded with talent, and after a historic playoff win, that talent is rightfully getting the recognition they deserve. Yet, leading up to the NFC Championship, there’s a perception that the Lions don’t have as many superstars as the San Francisco 49ers. On Wednesday, Quarterback Jared Goff was asked about that notion and jokingly started rattling off players from his roster.

When fans think of the San Francisco 49ers, they probably think of Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Kyle Juszczyk and George Kittle on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, there’s Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Javon Hargrave and Charvarius Ward, to name a few.

But when it comes to the Detroit Lions, fans might not be able to rattle off names as easily, creating the perception that the Lions’ talent isn’t comparable in some areas to the 49ers’. Jared Goff was asked about this during media availability Wednesday and handled the question in the best way possible.

NFL conference championship quarterback rankings: Lamar Jackson reigns, Patrick Mahomes isn’t where you’d expect

The presumptive 2023 MVP is No. 1. Then what?

You can’t win a Super Bowl in the modern NFL without a good quarterback. Fortunately for the four teams remaining as the conference championship games loom, four good-to-great passers remain.

Unsurprisingly, the guy headed into the gridiron’s final four with the most momentum is its presumptive regular season MVP. Lamar Jackson finished 2023 as a first-team All-Pro, typically the prerequisite to the league’s top individual award. He harnessed that momentum into a gorgeous performance in the divisional round, ending the Houston Texans’ Cinderella story in a 31-10 win.

If Jackson is the top quarterback remaining in the playoffs, how does the rest of the field sort out? Fortunately, we’ve got data that can help us sort through the remaining three candidates.

Expected points added (EPA) is a concept that’s been around since 1970. It’s effectively a comparison between what an average quarterback could be expected to do on a certain down and what he actually did — and how it increased his team’s chances of scoring. The model we use comes from The Athletic’s Ben Baldwin and his RBSDM.com website, which is both wildly useful AND includes adjusted EPA, which accounts for defensive strength. It considers the impact of penalties and does not negatively impact passers for fumbles after a completion.

Because the playoffs are as much about how hot you are as how good your team has been, let’s limit the scope of our data. Rather than limit ourselves to the too-wide net of all of 2023 or the too-small sample size of this year’s playoffs, let’s scoop our numbers from the final six weeks of the regular season on. Plotting that data gives us a 34-quarterback sample size that looks like this:

via RBSDM.com

That’s entirely too busy for our purposes, so let’s eliminate all the guys who aren’t playing this weekend. Poorly and with garbage photoshop skills, as is tradition.

via rbsdm.com

Let’s see how everyone rates when sorted by a composite of EPA and completion percentage over expected (CPOE). The guy at No. 1 won’t surprise you. The guy at No. 4 might.