Re: NFL Playoffs

by Guest Sun Feb 05, 2017 10:47 pm

SouthCarolinaPilot wrote:I must say that I feel heartbroken for my friends in Georgia. That was about the most Georgia way to lose a football game.

Kinda like giving up an 18-1 run at the end of a game? Too soon?

by Sound Voltex Sun Feb 05, 2017 11:47 pm

up7587 wrote:
SouthCarolinaPilot wrote:I must say that I feel heartbroken for my friends in Georgia. That was about the most Georgia way to lose a football game.

Kinda like giving up an 18-1 run at the end of a game? Too soon?

I was going to say...

by StudentPilot Mon Feb 06, 2017 12:47 pm

Didn't seem to be much Super Bowl interest on campus....there were many more people in the library than in front of the big screen in the Pilot House.

No chatter about the game today, but a lot positive comments about Lady Gaga's halftime performance that most watched on YouTube.

by Guest Mon Feb 06, 2017 4:11 pm

Interesting. NFL viewership is down overall. I never went to the library when the Super Bowl was on. Of course, they were wearing leather helmets then.
I'm old!

by StudentPilot Mon Feb 06, 2017 5:40 pm

At the beginning of classes today I asked my classmates what their favorite Super Bowl commercial was, and very few acknowledged even watching the game, let alone the commercials.

Of those who did express an opinion, it was overwhelmingly in favor of the Melissa McCarthy Kia advertisement, but when her name came up it seemed close to 100% said they saw McCarthy's SNL skit about White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer this past Saturday....

I didn't post the link, but you can watch both the Kia ad and SNL on YouTube.....

by Guest Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:17 pm

If the all-SEC college championship doesn't thrill you, the NFL playoffs are set. Four teams get first round byes, and each has a 13-3 record: in the AFC the Patriots and Steelers, in the NFC the Eagles and Vikings. The first round games next weekend match the Bills at the Jaguars and the Titans at the Chiefs in the AFC. The NFC games feature the Falcons at the Rams and the Panthers at the Saints.

The Chiefs started hot, fell apart, and pulled it out to get in. The Titans squeaked in on the last regular season Sunday with some anemic offense and good defense. The Bills almost didn't get in due to the strange Nathan Peterman 5 interception game. The Jaguars look strong, led by Blake Bortles(?!).

On the other side, three NFC South teams join the LA Rams, who struggle to draw fans to the Coliseum. The Panthers lost to the Saints twice in the regular season, so 3rd time's a charm? The Rams have the resurrected Goff at QB, and as long as Todd Gurley shows up, they're a strong team. But the Falcons won't be a pushover, if Julio Jones is full strength.

I like the Jags to beat the Bills, the Titans and Marcus M. to upset the Chiefs, Drew to beat Cam again, and the Rams to top the Falcons.

by DoubleDipper Tue Jan 02, 2018 12:02 am

Thanks for the rundown....as a 49er fan, I have not paid attention the NFL since Colin Kaepernick was still employed, and learning that 4 teams have 13-3 records could indicate that parity in the NFL was short lived.

Not sure what will attract me to the Super Bowl this year without Lady Gaga performing. I actually like Justin Timberlake, but if he brings Janet Jackson along again this year, I may have to shoot hoops at halftime.

I would love have the Bills fans savor as many wins as they can get during the playoffs as their team hasn't been there since the 20th Century.

The Chiefs have former successful 49er QB in Alex Smith, so they should prevail.

I'm a big fan of the former Cal QB, Jared Goff, playing for the Rams, so I'll go for them, although any true 49ers fan will always root against the Rams.

Yeah, not big fan of Newton (although I honestly haven't seen him play for a couple of years), so Drew and the Saints are my preferred choice.

Interesting to learn NFL viewership is down....maybe there are more 49er fans than I thought. tongue

by ExpatPilot Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:59 am

As sad as the Bills franchise has been, I am rooting for Jacksonville in the playoffs. They are an exciting team.

by Guest Thu Jan 04, 2018 4:48 pm

Speaking of the 49ers, they traded for Jimmy Garoppolo, giving up peanuts. When they inserted him into the line-up, they won their last 5 games, after only winning 1 game before that. So, undefeated next year?

by DoubleDipper Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:09 pm

up7587 wrote:Speaking of the 49ers, they traded for Jimmy Garoppolo, giving up peanuts. When they inserted him into the line-up, they won their last 5 games, after only winning 1 game before that. So, undefeated next year?

Thanks, Jimmy, you totally messed up the 49ers high draft position....now they'll be 9th or 10th, depending upon the coin flip with the Raiders. Evil or Very Mad

by Guest Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:07 pm

In the first playoff game today, Tennessee got dominated by K.C., trailing 21-3. Until the 2nd half, when several players stepped up. First, WR Mariota, caught a deflected pass, and dove for the pylon for the Titans' first TD. Next, RB Mariota had some key runs to keep a 2nd TD drive going. Then, QB Mariota threw a strike for the go ahead TD in the 4th quarter. Finally, OL Mariota threw the key block to spring D. Henry for a game clinching first down. Good thing those guys showed up. Titans win 22-21.

by DoubleDipper Sat Jan 06, 2018 8:59 pm

That was a fun game to watch...always love it when good people are able to do good things. I haven't watched Oregon football since Marcus graduated, and I've not watched him as a pro until tonight, but I look forward to watching him next week.

I absolutely know how the KC fans feel after blowing an 18 point lead in a playoff game. I was in the stands in Kezar Stadium when my 49ers blew a 3rd quarter 20 point lead to the Lions in a playoff game in 1957! Evil or Very Mad

by DoubleDipper Sat Jan 06, 2018 9:10 pm

Atlanta doubles up the Rams, 26-13....good!

The defending NFC champions were much more poised in this pressure game, and the Falcon defense was able to limit the Ram offense led by 2nd-year quarterback Goff to about half their normal point output.

Next week they get a chance to do the same against the Carson Wentz-less Eagles.

by DoubleDipper Sat Jan 06, 2018 9:29 pm

I guess the KC/Tennessee game was Jon Gruden's last in the ESPN booth for awhile....as soon as the game was over it was announced he is the Raiders new head coach with a ridiculous 10-year contract worth an estimated $100,000,000. Shocked

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/jon-gruden-to-become-raiders-coach-earn-about-100-million-over-10-year-deal/

by DoubleDipper Sat Jan 06, 2018 10:40 pm

up7587 wrote:Interesting. NFL viewership is down overall.

After watching five very good college basketball games today (hey, I fast forward a lot, and rarely watch the first 30 minutes!), it is obvious to me the reason viewership is down is because, compared to college basketball, NFL football is slow and boring....and the high number of "booth reviews" has got to be killing the game. I'm all for getting the calls right, but continually stopping the game has really taken the "hurry-up" out of the game.

I used to be a NFL fan, but now college basketball, and to some extent college football, is king! king

by pilotram Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:43 am

Gotta wonder if the high profile injuries are having an effect on viewership. I know they are for me. I recall a Thursday night game, I think it was Jacoby Brisett vs Tom Savage or something like that. No one wants to see that.

by DoubleDipper Mon Jan 08, 2018 4:13 pm

So the first game up this weekend will be between a couple of raptors as the Falcons head to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. Philly may be first in the East with a 13-3 record, but Atlanta has the experience edge. Atlanta would probably prefer to being playing indoors, but they have Matt Ryan to Julio Jones, and the weather should be relatively mild.

Of course the Patriots are huge favorites over the Titans at home, but everyone outside of New England will be rooting for Marcus Mariota, who doesn't have near the experience or numbers that Tom Brady has. Could be pretty cold in Foxboro with kickoff scheduled for 8:15pm....probably not what Marcus dreamed of growing up in Hawaii.

The Jaguars showed a superior defense in beating the Bills who were plagued by poor playing calling, IMO, but I don't see them stopping the Steelers' Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown combination. A forecast of around 20 degrees F in Steel Town has to favor the Pitt crew over the Floridians.

I know nothing about the Vikings, including who any of their players are, but to finish 13-3, they must be good. This could be the last chance for Drew Brees to see another Super Bowl (he'll be 39 in another week), and I don't see him wasting the opportunity in Minnesota. On the other hand, the Vikings would like to be in there own stadium for Super Bowl 52.

...why is it these big-time championship games (well, the Super Bowl, at least) are played in domes these days? I'm old!

by DoubleDipper Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:40 pm

It was a fairly ordinary Saturday, but Sunday was wacky and wild....

New England and Tom Brady were just too much for Marcus and his Titans in their 35-14 snoozer.

As expected the Falcons combo of Matt Ryan to Julio Jones resulted in over 100 yards, but the Eagles Jake Elliott kicked field goals of 21, 37, and 53 yards to help his team beat Atlanta, 15-10.

On Sunday the Steelers Ben Roethlisberger threw for 469 yards and 5 touchdowns against the vaunted Jacksonville defense, but Leonard Fournette found the 16 degree weather to his liking while rushing for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns in Jacksonville's 45-42 win.

In the wildest playoff finish in recent memory, the Saints had apparently beaten the Vikings 24-23 in the final seconds of the game, only to have the often maligned Case Keenum throw a 61-yard TD to Stefon Diggs to give Minnesota the 29-24 victory. Terrible defense on the play, IMO, and a ridiculous missed tackle, but the Vikings deserved the victory. An interesting side note to this game was the Vikings taking a knee on the extra point with zero time on the clock instead of converting it....thereby allowing New Orleans to cover the spread.

Next Sunday it's Jacksonville and the quarterback the home fans love to boo, Blake Bortles, taking on the Saint of New England and the Patriots, Tom Brady, in the AFC Championship in Foxborough. The Patriots could be close to a double-digit favorite by game time.

The NFC Championship has two backup quarterbacks filling in for the injured starters when the Eagles Nick Foles attempts outplay the Vikings Case Keenum in the City of Brotherly Love. Both teams were 13-3 and division winners, so this one could go down the wire....the Vikings being slight favorites.

by Guest Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:52 am

Vikings playing for home field advantage in the Super Bowl. The big game is in their home stadium.

by DoubleDipper Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:55 am

up7587 wrote:Vikings playing for home field advantage in the Super Bowl. The big game is in their home stadium.

Yup, instead of "win or go home," it's win AND go home!

by Geezaldinho Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:48 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:
up7587 wrote:Vikings playing for home field advantage in the Super Bowl. The big game is in their home stadium.
Yup, instead of "win or go home," it's win AND go home!

Go home and win.

by ExpatPilot Sun Jan 21, 2018 6:17 pm

With the Jags out, Pats in, and Vikings not hosting their own Super Bowl: I’m out.

by **PilotNut** Sun Jan 21, 2018 6:24 pm

SouthCarolinaPilot wrote:With the Jags out, Pats in, and Vikings not hosting their own Super Bowl: I’m out.

Agreed.

by DoubleDipper Sun Feb 04, 2018 1:19 pm

It's Super Bowl Sunday....

Not hearing or seeing much excitement as in the past, but my next door neighbor expects about "75 to a 100 people" at her house....not so much to watch the game, but to drink all her booze and wine and beer, and eat the potluck food.

One of the party visitors, who works at a "gentleman's club" in Las Vegas, tells me there are some pretty unusual wagers you can make on the Super Bowl this year.

1. Will players kneel for the national anthem?
2. How many times will President Trump tweet on the day of the game?
3. Which number will be higher...the number of total points in the first quarter or the outside temperature in Minneapolis at kickoff?
4. There's also an under/over on the number of times "wardrobe malfunction" from Super Bowl XVIII is mentioned during the broadcast.

I was also told the "cheapest" ticket to the Super Bowl this year is $3,000, which made me dig out my ticket stubs from the three Super Bowl I've attended:
1993 in Miami -- $175; 1995 in San Diego -- $225; 1998 in Pasadena -- $275

Just based upon those increasing prices, $3,000 seems a bit much!

by Guest Sun Feb 04, 2018 8:39 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:It's Super Bowl Sunday....

Not hearing or seeing much excitement as in the past, but my next door neighbor expects about "75 to a 100 people" at her house....not so much to watch the game, but to drink all her booze and wine and beer, and eat the potluck food.

One of the party visitors, who works at a "gentleman's club" in Las Vegas, tells me there are some pretty unusual wagers you can make on the Super Bowl this year.

1. Will players kneel for the national anthem?
none that I saw
2. How many times will President Trump tweet on the day of the game?
zero was the correct answer
3. Which number will be higher...the number of total points in the first quarter or the outside temperature in Minneapolis at kickoff?
The temp was 3*, 1st qtr points was 12
4. There's also an under/over on the number of times "wardrobe malfunction" from Super Bowl XVIII is mentioned during the broadcast.
I didn't hear one, did I miss one?

I was also told the "cheapest" ticket to the Super Bowl this year is $3,000, which made me dig out my ticket stubs from the three Super Bowl I've attended:
1993 in Miami -- $175; 1995 in San Diego -- $225; 1998 in Pasadena -- $275

Just based upon those increasing prices, $3,000 seems a bit much!
Did the kid who took the selfie with Justin Timberlake get his money's worth?