NFL Divisional Round Thoughts And Stats Including A Couple Rookie Quarterbacks You Never Knew Won It All
Icon Sportswire. Getty Images.What an absolutely amazing Divisional Round weekend of the NFL Playoffs. You can't ask for more than that. Unless you're a Ravens fan. Then maybe you can ask more of Mark Andrews. Or a Rams fan. Then maybe you can ask Matt Stafford to not throw the ball to the bench on the game ending 4th down. And Maybe the Lions medical staff could ask to switch to hourly instead of salaried and overtime exempt. Fine, there's always something more you can ask. But this was easily the best weekend of football of the season.
Here are my takeaways.
Snow football is >>>>
There's a lot of people out there that think every stadium should be in a dome so conditions are consistent and player's skill level can be maximized. I couldn't disagree more. The elements add an extra level of suspense and excitement that I certainly don't need to explain to anyone who watched Sunday's snow games. Not to get super meta, but football is a euphemism for war. We all cheer for our teams like they're soldiers for our tribe. And you have to be ready for anything the elements can deal you.
For the 1 millionth time - ban the slide NFL
I've blogged this take enough I'm not going to relitigate the full argument but it basically boils down to the fact that you can't expect a quarterback to know when the exact right time to slide is before it's too late for the defender (or defenders) to break Newton's law of motion. So I'm not even mad at Mahomes for this absurdly late slide. He's been trained to slide when he thinks he's in danger of being hit. That's what the NFL wants. And in doing so he puts his head on a platter which wouldn't be the case if he didn't slide.
Where are we at now with "Lamar can't do it in the postseason"?
Watching Lamar play in by far his coldest game of his career was something I was fascinated in seeing given that there is definitely something going on with his passing production at least as a function of game temperature:
Made before Sunday
Lamar had a costly fumble that resulted in an ensuing touchdown. You could easily point to this if you're on team "Lamar can't win in the postseason". He had that awful interception early in the game too. But I don't know. I think he shook off that rough stretch spanning after the first drive through the first half and I can't get Mark Andrew's screw up out of my mind. No, not the dropped two-point conversion. The fumble on the drive in-between Baltimore's two touchdown drives. And yeah - then there was the dropped game tying two-point conversion.
I guess I'm in "jury is still out" mode here. 18/25 for 254 (2/1) and a 114.4 rating sure doesn't seem like evidence that he wilts in big games. Especially in these elements. Josh Allen threw for 127 by the way. All I know for sure is, I hope these teams meet again next January. And I'm glad the Bills won because I absolutely want to see them smoke the Chiefs in Arrowhead.
Let's move to the NFC.
Jalen Hurts has won four playoff games in his career - all with under 155 yards passing
Mitchell Leff. Getty Images.154. 121. 131. And 128 in the Philly snow. And before you blame it on the snow, Stafford threw for 324. Maybe Saquon Barkley should be the MVP. Of course 70 rushing yards and a touchdown helped Hurts play mistake free football which is not exactly something you could say for the visiting Rams.
How many rookie quarterbacks have reached a conference championship?
Kevin Sabitus. Getty Images.The incredible story from DC continues. Hard to think of a team with destiny more on its side in recent memory. And hard to think of a fanbase more deserving after the absolute hell they've dealt with. Add an extremely likeable star rookie quarterback and this might be a story even the script writers from Kansas City can't rig.
The question is now fair to ask after dismantling the #1 team in the league. Can this team win the Super Bowl?
Let's look at some history for rookie quarterbacks. No rookie starter has ever won a Super Bowl. But a few have made conference championships:
Let's not forget Kordell Stewart people! I ran the code on this too and 1995 Kordell Stewart came in and played during the playoffs (to run and play receiver) so I think he deserves an honorable mention here. Also, is this really that impressive if Shaun King and Mark Sanchez are on the list?
Let's have some fun. Let's find some other random rookie QBs that made a playoff run despite having pretty much nothing to do with it. Here's my absolute favorite. Rookie Super Bowl winner…
ELVIS GRRRRRRRBAC!!!!
Brian Bahr. Getty Images.The 1994 49ers trounced the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX thanks to the contributions of rookie quarterback, Elvis Grbac. He and Steve Young would combine for 37 attempts and 325 passing yards with six touchdowns (1 attempt for 0 completions for Grbac) (and one rush for zero yards) (and a fumble).
But this wasn't his only flash in those playoffs. He would also contribute in the Divisional Round to the tune of 2 completions for 47 yards vs my Chicago Bears. I remember watching that game at eight years old. The Bears got clobbered 44-15 and I think that was the moment I knew my life as a Bears fan would be an absolute torture chamber. Even Elvis Grbac put numbers on us.
OK - one more. All-time name drop.
Keith Molesworth
Bettmann. Getty Images.I'm led to believe one of these chaps is Keith Molesworth based on this being the only image that pulled up from Getty, and after doing some data sleuthing (literally the first image that Google gave me), it appears he's #4 on the far right.
Or maybe he's the guy right behind him. As a matter of fact, they kind of all have the same face. You be the judge.
Unlike Elvis, Keith started in every playoff game for the Chicago Bears (1 game) in this championship winning season. And in old timer football fashion, he would only throw five passes in the championship game which would still be the most for any of the five total pass throwers on his team. 2/5 for 24 yards which I think we can all agree is plenty to bring home the championship back in 1933.
That was a fun late-night stroll down PFR road. Bring on Championship Sunday.