Tag: rivalry

Bengals QB Joe Burrow predicts Chiefs will win Super Bowl LIX

#Bengals QB Joe Burrow shocked viewers on ‘Breakfast Ball’ this week by predicting that the #Chiefs defeat the #Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made their fair share of enemies in the early years of their budding dynasty, but that didn’t keep one of the team’s most bitter rivals from paying respect to the defending champions ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

On Thursday, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow appeared on FS1’s Breakfast Ball to share his thoughts on the upcoming matchup between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

During his appearance, Burrow picked Kansas City to win the Big Game on Sunday and cited the Chiefs’ run defense as the primary advantage for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Watch this clip of Burrow’s appearance on Breakfast Ball, which was posted to Twitter:

Despite the ongoing rivalry between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Burrow, the former LSU Tiger clearly has the utmost respect for what Kansas City has accomplished.

Stay tuned to see if Burrow’s prediction will prove to be correct, or if the Chiefs will fall short in their quest to achieve the NFL’s first-ever Super Bowl three-peat.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes comments on rivalry vs. the Bills: ‘You have to combat’

Kansas City #Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes comments on rivalry vs. the Buffalo #Bills: ‘You have to combat’ | @EdEastonJr

The rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills has many exciting chapters that have made each matchup highly anticipated, regardless of the stakes. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are the headline attractions of the rivalry, but there are deeper layers to the teams leading into Sunday’s AFC Championship game.

“I think when you look at the great rivalries of the NFL, it comes with this. It comes with playing each other every year in the regular season; it comes with playing in the playoffs,” said Mahomes during his press conference on Wednesday. “You have to combat; you have to look at your weaknesses and try to make those strengths and then your strengths, make them even better because you know that they’re going to go out there and try to take away those things. It’s a great football team, like I said, great players, well-coached, and we know it’s going to take our best in order to find a way to get a win.”

With a win on Sunday, Kansas City can become the fourth team to reach three consecutive Super Bowls, joining the 1990-93 Buffalo Bills (four successive), 1971-73 Miami Dolphins (three), and 2016-18 New England Patriots (three).

“I think you just have to know you’re going to have to play your best football. I mean, I’ve played against (Bills QB) Josh (Allen) enough times to know that he’s going to come out there and play great football, especially in those big moments,” said Mahomes. “For me, I have to play my best football whenever I get the opportunity to and try to put our team in the best position to succeed. If that’s limiting turnovers, if that’s changing the field position – whatever that is, you have to find a way that day to win. When you go up against a great quarterback, it takes your best as well.”

Mahomes has 47 career postseason touchdowns and 16 career postseason wins, including an eight-game winning streak going into the 2024 AFC Championship. With a win, he would become the third starting quarterback in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl five times, joining Tom Brady (10 Super Bowl appearances) and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway (five).

Chiefs S Justin Reid appreciates consistent battles vs. Bills: ‘It feels like a divisional game’

Kansas City #Chiefs safety Justin Reid appreciates consistent battles vs. the Buffalo #Bills: ‘It feels like a divisional game’ | @EdEastonJr

The routine meetings between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, regardless if it’s the regular season or playoffs, have consistently lived up to the hype. Veteran safety Justin Reid shared his thoughts on the rivalry during a conversation with reporters on Wednesday.

“It feels like a divisional game. I mean, we know them really well, and they know us really well,” said Reid. In the offseason, both of us are preparing for each other because we know we’re going to come against each other, probably twice, like it feels like every year.”

Reid finished last Saturday’s victory over the Houston Texans with seven tackles, a pass deflection, and pass rush moments against C.J. Stroud. He understands the challenge with Buffalo will be much different on Sunday with MVP candidate Josh Allen.

“It’s one of the best matchups to play because they’re such a talented football team, they have so much firepower, (offensive coordinator) Joe Brady’s done an awesome job with Josh Allen and that offense, gotten them fired up, and their defense is playing amazing, too,” said Reid. “Always a tough challenge, but one that we’re excited for, week-in and week-out, and it’ll be another storybook show for all the viewers watching on TV.”

The AFC Championship game will close out the championship Sunday as the NFC will start the day and have one-half of the Super Bowl already set.

Cameron Jordan calls Saints-Falcons rivalry ‘the only one that matters’

The Saints have had tense games with the Buccaneers and Panthers, but Cameron Jordan says the Falcons rivalry is ‘the only one that matters’

Rivalries often form in the divisions purely off playing each other frequently, especially when both teams are good. Not all rivalries are created equal, however. For example, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tried, and still try, to force a rivalry with the New Orleans Saints when Tom Brady came to town.

Admittedly, Brady versus Drew Brees and Marshon Lattimore versus Mike Evans felt like chapters for an exciting rivalry. However, there never felt like enough true animosity between the fanbases to call it a true rivalry.

Everyone knows the Atlanta Falcons are the Saints’ true rival. As Cameron Jordan told Julian Edelman, “It’s the only one that matters.” There were some fun moments over the years with Tampa Bay, but Evans is the only one of the quartet still standing. No matter how many pieces come and go between New Orleans and Atlanta, the level of vitriol doesn’t fade.

“The only one that matters” is a great description of the Saints’ relationship with other teams around the division. The Saints have had a tense stretch of games with the Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. They’ve faced both of those rivals in the playoffs. If either the Saints or those other teams weren’t good, though, the game didn’t matter as much.

Just look at their records against each other. The Saints are 56-55 against the Falcons, 31-29 against the Panthers, and 40-26 against the Buccaneers.

There’s only one pair of teams where records don’t matter, where hate week is mandatory, where animosity is eternal. That’s the Saints and Falcons. In Jordan’s words, “the only one that matters.”

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Davante Adams comments on Marshon Lattimore vs. Mike Evans’ rivalry

Davante Adams says ‘both of them boys are crazy’ ahead of Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore and Bucs WR Mike Evans’ rivalry game in the playoffs:

Marshon Lattimore versus Mike Evans provided every New Orleans Saints versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers showdown with a little extra intensity. The Saints traded Lattimore away to the Washington Commanders this year, and he will take on Evans again for the first time in a different uniform in the wild card round of the NFL playoffs.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Evans and Lattimore arch-rivals. New York Jets receiver Davante Adams spoke with Kay Adams on the rivalry between the two players, saying: “I know both of them boys are crazy.”

You see how far the rivals go and how frequently they go there, and it’s hard to disagree. Scuffles are regular, and punches never seem to far away when Evans and Lattimore are sharing the field. With this being a playoff game, the extracurricular activities should be at a minimum. The intensity will be present, though.

Adams says he never had a rival to this degree and is “too old to be doing that now.” If there was one cornerback he had a rivalry with, it would Richard Sherman, but “it wasn’t something that lasted as long as their’s have.”

There aren’t many rivalries like Evans versus Lattimore. We get to see them battle in the playoffs one more time.

When’s the last time Steelers played Ravens in NFL playoffs? What fans need to know

The Steelers and Ravens will take their rivalry to 2024’s AFC Wild-Card round. Here’s a look back at their thrilling postseason history.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Baltimore Ravens this Saturday, January 11, 2024, in this season’s Wild-Card round of the playoffs. The Steel City has faced its AFC North rivals four times previously, and the postseason history between these two foes is rich with competitive spirit. Here is a historical look at how the previous four playoff meetings between the Steelers and Ravens played out.

2001 Playoffs: Divisional Round

The Pittsburgh Steelers faced the reigning Super Bowl XXXV champions, the Baltimore Ravens, in the divisional round of the 2001 playoffs on January 20, 2002. It was the first postseason meeting between the two teams, and Pittsburgh made sure to end the Ravens’ aspirations of back-to-back Super Bowl victories with a 27-10 Steelers win. One Steeler who stood out was none other than RB Amos Zereoué, who helped seal the victory with two rushing touchdowns on the night.

2008 Playoffs: AFC Championship Game

The second meeting between these AFC North rivals took place during the 2008 season in the AFC Championship Game on January 18, 2009. Once again, the Black and Gold ended the Ravens’ playoff hopes, sending Baltimore packing with a 23-14 Steelers victory. This game featured one of the most iconic plays in Steelers postseason history, as SS Troy Polamalu intercepted Ravens QB Joe Flacco and returned it 40 yards for a pick-six late in the fourth quarter.

2010 Playoffs: Divisional Round

Pittsburgh’s postseason dominance over Baltimore continued in the 2010 season’s divisional round on January 15, 2011. The Ravens gave the Steel City a tough fight, but the Steelers ultimately prevailed, securing the Pittsburgh victory, 31-24. One of the standout performances of the game came from FS Ryan Clark, who forced a fumble on Ravens RB Ray Rice and intercepted Ravens QB Joe Flacco.

2014 Playoffs: Wild-Card Round

All good things must come to an end, and so did the Steelers’ perfect postseason record against the Ravens on January 3, 2015, in the 2014 season’s Wild-Card round. There was little for the Black and Gold faithful to cheer for in this matchup, as both the offense and defense struggled mightily, leading to a 30-17 Steelers loss. A bright spot for Pittsburgh was K Shaun Suisham, who accounted for nine of the team’s 17 total points.

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Tom Brady reveals which Saints defender he would’ve loved to play with, not against

Tom Brady says he would’ve loved to play with, not against, Demario Davis. The Saints linebacker continues to impress:

Tom Brady is one of the most heralded quarterbacks in history with a reputation of being able to go against the best off them.

But if you can’t beat them, you had better join them. And the New Orleans Saints defender he would have loved to have played with, not against, is Demario Davis. Brady had his chances to spar against him as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he was on the call for FOX Sports during Sunday’s season finale at Raymond James Stadium.

“Would’ve loved to have played with Demario Davis,” Brady said on the game’s broadcast, reacting to a big tackle by Davis in the first quarter. “It’s a toughness thing, your teammates know you’re always reliable.”

His record against Davis when the signal-caller was with the Buccaneers was 3-4. The Saints have had some solid luck against the Tampa Bay in general just looking throughout history, leading the overall series with a 40-26-0 all-time record.

The Saints are not the only team Davis has played for, though, and the Bucs are obviously not the only team that Brady played for as one of the best New England Patriots ever. Brady went 6-2 against Davis and the Jets over that time period, having better luck against him then. It’s clear to see he gave Brady some headaches, though on both squads.

Davis played a single season with the Cleveland Browns in which Brady got the edge in the lone matchup they faced each other in. So, all-time, Brady went 9-7 against Davis — with most of those losses coming once they both arrived in the NFC South.

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Saints vs. Buccaneers loses some of its luster without Marshon Lattimore

This is the first Saints vs Buccaneers game without Marshon Lattimore on the roster, and the leadup to the game feels different without him:

Week 18’s New Orleans Saints versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers finale feels different knowing we won’t be seeing Marshon Lattimore versus Mike Evans. Lattimore has missed this game before due to injury, but this is the first matchup between the teams since Lattimore’s trade to the Washington Commanders earlier this season.

The rivalry between Lattimore and Evans always gave Saints fans something to look forward to, regardless of team success. In a day and age of love between opponents, there was genuine disdain and animosity between these two players. It made for a compelling 60 minutes twice a year, at least when Evans wasn’t getting himself ejected by starting fights midway through the afternoon.

But highlighting Lattimore’s absence is no disrespect to Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry. They haven’t reached the status of Lattimore as a consistent, proven commodity with shutdown coverage. And maybe most importantly, they don’t have the history with Evans to generate the same level of anticipation around the head-to-head matchup.

That being said, Evans has a history of being slowed down by the Saints’ top corners, whether that’s been Paulson Adebo or someone else. If Taylor and McKinstry could collectively carry that torch, this may begin a whole new round of bragging rights for Saints fans.

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Bucs QB ‘looking forward’ to Mike Evans vs. Saints without Marshon Lattimore

Baker Mayfield is eager to see Mike Evans play the Saints next week, who are without Marshon Lattimore to shut down his favorite receiver.

Baker Mayfield didn’t mention the New Orleans Saints or Marshon Lattimore directly, but he’s obviously circled the calendar for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ regular season finale — and what it could mean for Mike Evans. If Evans totals at least 85 yards against the Saints on Sunday, he’ll extend his streak of seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards to all 11 years he’s been in the NFL.

“Obviously Mike’s a huge part of this offense and the record is pretty important for us to get,” Mayfield told reporters after Week 17’s win over the Carolina Panthers. Correcting himself, he continued, “For him to achieve it but for us to make sure it happens. Having it right there in front of us and not having to force things. Obviously when he’s in the game, he’s a huge part of that and he creates the explosive plays in the passing game. Looking forward to seeing what happens next week.”

It’s no accident Mayfield is so eager when he knows Lattimore won’t be there to shut down his favorite receiver. Evans has averaged just 49.7 yards per game against the Saints across 20 matchups, largely thanks to Lattimore’s tight coverage and skill at making plays on the ball. For context, just three teams have held Evans to a lower pace, and they’ve played him a combined eight times (Green Bay Packers four times, Denver Broncos three times, and the New York Jets once).

But the Saints don’t have Lattimore now. They traded him at November’s NFL deadline and have since fielded one of the league’s worst secondaries with 240 passing yards allowed each week and just two interceptions in their last seven games. Granted, Lattimore has been sidelined for most of that time on his new Washington Commanders team with a chronic hamstring injury, but the point is the Saints are vulnerable.

And you can bet Mayfield and Evans plan to take advantage of that. It’ll be on Alontae Taylor, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and their teammates to ruin the Bucs’ day. Hopefully they’re up to the task.

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Tyrann Mathieu on playing Atlanta: ‘The Falcons have been pretty good to me’

Tyrann Mathieu intercepted the Falcons in the last matchup, and he made it clear that’s nothing new when playing the divisional rivals

Tyrann Mathieu sat down with Kay Adams recently, and she asked him about his interception against the Atlanta Falcons, specifically how that kind of play can change the course of a season.

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi highlighted the importance of that play in his postgame press conference. The play helped clinch a victory, but that win was bigger than most wins. The New Orleans Saints were on a seven game losing streak. If Mathieu doesn’t make that play, the streak very well could have extended to eight.

Mathieu relishes in those moments. “Anytime you make those type of plays in those types of rivalry games. That’s the type of plays you dream of as a defender.” Those plays haven’t been a rarity against Atlanta.

“The Falcons have been pretty good to me,” Mathieu told Adams with a smirk. Mathieu had an interception in his first career game against the Falcons. Since joining the Saints, he’s recorded four interceptions and recovered a fumble. That’s five turnovers in six games. The Falcons have indeed been good to Mathieu.