The NFL thread
 

Bills player collapses and is administered CPR on the field. Game suspended.

Shades of Eriksen at Euros.

Hoping for the best for the young man.

Horrible thing to see hope Hamlin is ok as you say has the same feelings as the Eriksen euros incident

Watching on espn US coverage and you can see the shock in the studio from it all

Surely the biggest news is that the Jets won 7 games this season? And that was by blowing it at the end.

NFC

Seattle Seahawks (7) @ San Francisco 49ers (2)
New York Giants (6) @ Minnesota Vikings (3)
Dallas Cowboys (5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)

The lowest ranked winning side to face Philadelphia Eagles in Divisional Round

AFC

Miami Dolphins (7) @ Buffalo Bills (2)
Baltimore Ravens (6) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3)
Los Angeles Chargers (5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (4)

The lowest ranked winning side to face Kansas City in Divisional Round

I thought the Eagles and the Chiefs would play the lowest seeded team that makes it through any of the wildcard games?

Correct, yes my bad. I had completely forgotten the format.

The CPFC Spread Pickers league has come to an end. Congratulations to Tony P and Rays and Shine for their top placings.

For those into their NFL and like NFL Podcasts, I have just launched Episode 1 of my NFL Podcast, Microphones and Muffed Punts available on Spotify previewing the Week 1 Wildcard Games - would love a few listens and feedback!

I will give this a listen on my way up to work tomorrow ����

Thanks Ben - would love your feedback. If you enjoyed it then pls follow us on Spotify!

If I am being honest I’ve had to stop after 10 mins. Not sure whether it was on purpose or not, but I can’t listen to analysis with the intro music still playing in the background.

Sounds like you guys obviously know what you are talking about with some of the analysis and stats. I would have to liked a bit more of an intro into the two of you, what made you want to start a podcast etc.

Happy to give another one a shot.

I had a listen last night. I only had time for about 20 mins.
Pretty much agreed with what you guys said.

Constructive criticism: why should I listen again? TBH it could have been 2 guys chatting down the pub. I think you need to work on the presentation. If you haven't got some inside info or fresh news/analysis that the listener hasn't already read or seen somewhere, then you need a style that entertains and draws the listener in. (2 blokes chatting down the pub doesn't tempt me to listen again). Could be more lighthearted banter or perhaps protagonist where you have strongly different views. Just something other than just let's have a chat.

9ers off to a good start

And pegged back :(

Excellent second half

Woke up at 7am to watch Jaguars game with no spoilers.

Wow.

Third biggest NFL playoff game comeback in history.

Duuuuuvaaal :lux:

Thanks for the feedback.

Will work on removing the music and adding a bit more flair.

Hopefully our predictions such as mcaffrey having a big game and Dawson Knox being the key red zone target keep people coming back for insight. Working on new features too. Appreciate all the feedbsck - first pod so was nervous!

Bills scrape through.
Count themselves lucky they were playing such an in experienced team.

Can't say I'm hugely surprised at the Vikings blowing it.

One last minute come back win too far.

Go Bills. Its our year!

Sam Hubbard with an historic 98 yd defensive TD to send the bengals through….who dey !!

That final play was very Vikings.

After being maybe the most clutch QB in the league during the regular season, the old cliches about Kirk Cousins are coming out.

Jags @ Kansas
Bengals @ Bills

Giants @ Eagles
Cowboys @ 49ers

I see that if the Bills and Chiefs meet in the Conference Championship, the game will be played in Atlanta.

Yeah, while I do get it from a competitive point of view. It is an absolute killer for potential fans. 800 miles from Kansas and 900 miles from Buffalo.

Further to the feedback on the pod (thanks so much!) we have added some new features and have booked some guests - this Fridays will be from a leading JagsUK fan and next week delighted to have Hannah Wilkes from Sky Sports NFL talking about what goes on behind the scenes on game day and more!

Some great teams coming over to the UK and Germany in 2023!

Bills x Titans x Jags to UK
Cheifs x Pats to Germany (Munich and Frankfurt)

Opposition for each side still to be announced - possibility of the superbow champs coming over (yes, the jags ;) )

I'm trying not to get caught up with the 49ers/Purdy hype.... a bit of positivity is fine, but the noise over Purdy and the "embarrassment of riches on the offensive side" the "best defense in the league" etc is a bit OTT.

Cowboys will be a very tough game, especially if the same Prescott turns up as last Monday night.
Fingers crossed the 9ers have enough to pip it.

I agree - I have these teams very closely matched.

For me the one area of difference is the weapons - in McAffrey, Mitchell, Deebo, Ayuik and Kittle, the 49ers have a far superior offensive weapons to the Cowboys and this 1-5 is probably as strong as as anyone, the Bengals probably with Chase Higgins Boyd Hurst and Mixon would be a fair arguement in my mind.

Purdy has played well but like all of Shanahans schemes, yards after the catch are key to progressing the offense. That shouldn't feel sustainable but it has been. I had a look through some of Purdys Grid Chart rankings and was amazed that throwing down the left side of the field he has a Passer rating of 144 (anything over 100 is good) yet down the right hand side is only 60.

If Parsons and co can get past T.Williams to move Purdy out to his right then this could be a very close game. I see a low scorer and the 49ers coming out on top, purely as I don't trust McCarthy and he will likely use Zeke far too much to their detriment

Good start by the Eagles!

Both games gone (going) according to seeding.
Chiefs not really under any pressure and the Eagles making easy meat of the Giants in the fist half.

I watched my team lose to the Chiefs last night. It was painful. The day after I can at least reflect on the run we had and where we came from given how bad we were last season.

Trevor Lawrence is a top quarterback and didn't really do much wrong yesterday. We were just up against a Superbowl team that's been there, done it and got the t-shirt. Been good experience and lessons will surely be learnt from it.

Trevor Lawrence has trodden the well worn path of Hashim Amla/Steve Smith in cricket.

Absolutely dreadful (as a rookie, tbf) at first look but quickly turning his talent into results.

Cowboys fan for 36 years looking forward to tonight's game. 49ers best team in the NFC but if Dak plays like he did last week if will be a close game. Really do fear Deebo and Mccaffery.
Dallas defence needs to have a top game to be in with a chance.

Poor old Bills. Had hoped they might finally break the curse

so much for playing at home in the cold and snow

the nerves are beginning to twitch

Cinci were fantastic tonight. Fully deserved their victory

'49ers best team in the NFC'???? Seriously??

Who said that?

Because with a couple of minutes left in the first half this game is exactly as I thought it would be. Very very tight game that I feel Prescott's experience over Purdy's may well decide it.

GET IN!!!

Wow that was a tight game! Stress factor 10.

3rd title game in 4 years!


Next up the Eagles :eek::eek:

Niners were horrible. Hard to imagine they can beat the Eagles, unless Philly chokes.

Bengals keep flying under the radar. Either that or the Bills just choke too often. Cincy at KC should be a good one. I'm expecting a KC win, but the Bengals can definitely take them.

You're right, the 9ers won't beat Philadelphia, but you are very wrong to say the 9ers were horrible. That was a top notch defense put up by Dallas tonight. Purdy and Kittle manufactured the 9ers only touch down and the defense came up big yet again. No way was that horrible.

Well that was a massive let down. Dak back to being rubbish again although the play calling by Moore was abject.
Thought the 49ers were poor but deserved the win. Dallas D played very well again.

Despite the perhaps slightly abject games, i thought there were a good range of stories and match ups throughout the weekend and the best 4 teams remain.

To be honest I think the Eagles win is being slightly overhyped as to me the Giants would in any other year, be a Wildcard team at best. That said, hard not to be impressed in how they dispatched them so comfortably with Hurts looking better tha nexpected with the injury.

I think the Eagles 49ers will be a great game. I have normally been critical of Shanahans coaching of being too conservative in the 2nd half (Going back to falcons days not just 49ers) but he had a good game.

Im in love with this Bengals side and as much as I have loved watching the Cheifs in the last 2-3 years, but i am finding it hard to buy in to this team that to me seem devoid of game changers in their secondary and this will be put to the test with big bodied Boyd and Higgins and explained why Perine ran them over earlier in the season.

Previewed this weeks game on my pod with Hannah Wilkes and looking forward to welcoming the latest addition to the skysports presenting team, Pheobe Schecter joining shortly!

Go 9ers!

My expectations are very low. Hopefully the 9ers can make a game of it (unlike the Giants) but I just don't see a win today.

Looking forward to this one! Good luck..!

2 really tough games to call.

Gonna be close... Eagles by 3 I hope

Huge injury, just lumped on eagles - 4.5

I got finessed it seems

That's why i loved this game, that catch **** me!!

This Eagles team is going the whole way, that offensive line is too good.

which wasn't a catch

That non catch showed better athleticism than you will see all year at Selhurst Park, or any Football ground.

well that's that, surely?
Purdy out.

and is that Bosa injured too?

Wow eagles would have given up 20 points to see Bosa and Purdy out of the game.

I think this is gg, lump on Bengals with Mahones dodgey ankle next.

Can anyone else remember a team so unlucky with QB injuries?

It's been a disaster for the 9ers for the last 3 or 4 seasons.

**** sake Bosa is an animal.

Colour commentator on Fox, Greg Olsen, is so annoying... sounds like a 12 year old

Eagles getting nothing out of the 9ers secondary, so it's dinks and dunks up the middle. McCaffery is the danger. Need to cancel him out as Johnson ain't gonna throw it

Fun fact (for no-one in particular) Johnson was QB for the Bucs in my one and only in-person Eagles game a few years back (2009). Notable for Mike Vick appearing for a few plays after we'd signed him as a wildcat QB

Nah. Eagles got this. Easy.
9ers would struggle to beat Philly with a regular QB , but with this 4th stringer its pointless.

EDIT: who is also injured now. What a joke. It never stops.

seen enough... penalties killing any chance.

Agreed... not a great game from either team

Did Kaepernick leave a revenge curse on the 9ers?

LOL. Gotta be something like that!

GO BIRDS!!!!!! :p

I'll take it. Eaaaaaagalllllls!

I had a free £5 bet to use on NFL which I know jack about, and so I just did a bet builder not knowing what I was really doing and it came in at 26/1. Didn't even watch the game

Super Bowl baby!

called it.

Nice one. I was hoping 49ers win, but with a decimated team they stood no chance.

Now we need a prediction for the superbowl from you (no pressure)

That Kelce brothers podcast should be a good listen this week!

It's a tough call hence my "take your pick" comment previously.
Never write off Mahomes, but do think Philly will have the edge.

Some shambolic officiating lessened my enjoyment of the KC Bengals game. The injuries to 49ers also made that one sided, though the lack of discipline by the 49ers really demonstrated a team that is quite mentally weak. Eagles i think would have won even with Purdy fit, and backed that result accordingly. Cheifs Bengals was also going to be tight and last possession win kind of game.

Eagles are rightly favourites, though I was probably less impressed with Jalen Hurts throwing and it took them a long time to figure out they needed to establish the run by passing into the slot.

A good game, but I see a low scorer

I thought both games were marred by some pretty poor officiating.

You can say that again cin we’re playing 2 teams the ones in red and the ones in black and white ,you can even see zac Taylor saying “it’s rigged” on the sidelines

Mahomes is one tough cookie, with his ankle injury still lingering, he literally played with one leg.

I am not picking anyone as I find that I enjoy the game better that way

I am an Eagles fan so will be biased. Think the game hinges on whether the Eagles pass rush can get past the Chiefs OL (which I think they will) and pressure Mahomes (which is up in the air).

I am a Jaguars fan and after watching our playoff game versus the Chiefs this year, our playoff game versus the Patriots in 2018 and the two games on Sunday, I accept we will never make a Superbowl in my lifetime due to big team bias refereeing.

Will still enjoy the regular season but my hopes of just reaching a Superbowl once have been completely diminished now.

Makes me feel dirty but hope Eagles win it so a fairytale story for Jordan Mailata comes true

The Chiefs weren’t a big team up until very recently, nor were the Bengals or the Eagles when they made their previous superbowls. Hell, the 9ers have more superbowls than the 3 other teams that played on Sunday combined.

8 MLB teams have drafted a quarterback who went on to win the Superbowl.

12 NFL teams still haven’t.

That's a great fact, Adlerhorst.

12 teams haven't won it or haven't drafted a superbowl winning qb. Lions have never won a superbowl but did draft Matt Stafford.

My boys Carolina have been to two Superbowls at least even if we lost both. :hmph:

The last one was an absolute case of losing your nerve when it mattered, going bloody 15-1 in the season.

What’s the thinking behind the Bears and their number one pick? Are they going to trade the pick? Other teams know they’re not in the market for a QB but will they want to trade up simply to deny rivals the first pick? E.g the Titans have pick 2 so would have first choice of QBs if Chicago stays no. 1, but do they consider trading just to stop someone else moving ahead of them in the draft?

All mock drafts I have seen either have Chicago drafting a guy called Anderson number 1 I think or they trade with either Houston, Indianapolis or Carolina. I hope we manage to get one of the top 2 or 3 QBs in the draft, but not sure we'd be willing to give up much to go number 1.

The Bears would be idiots not to trade down for another early pick or two, there’s so many holes in that team.

Dont see why the Bears would keep pick 1 - unless they think their is a premium edge rusher, though I dont see why the texans would go this route. Trading down but staying in the top 5 is what you want. They want players but they need premium players.

Wil likely be Jalen Carter or Anderson as the non QBs.

Think the Chiefs are weaker than in past seasons.
JuJu and MVS aren't having big enough impacts in games
and I don't rate McKinnon or Pachinko.
If Kelce has a quiet night by his standards Eagles will romp it.

Kielce brothers are making history and I just saw their mother with a half and half shirt. I thought there was only a half and half scarf, but a shirt is a first I saw.

The best player over the last decade in baseball (by miles and miles and miles) is a guy called Mike Trout who plays for the Angels. He’s a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, and tragically has been to more Eagles playoff games than Angels playoff games.

Getting a bit antsy now... Fox pundits heavily favor the Eagles. But I reckon Mahomes has a surprise or two...

Go Birds!