NFL Championship Games: ZZZZZZZZ Edition

 Bucs-Packers:

Prediction: Hard-fought game, but the Packers are the better team and on their own turf, so they should stick it out.

Reality: WHAT DOES IT TAKE? WHAT DOES IT FRIGGING TAKE FOR THIS TEAM TO WIN AN NFC CHAMPIONSHIP? We've tried playing teams that aren't as good as ours, we've tried playing teams with no offense, we've tried playing teams with the homefield advantage for once. Nothing works. Regardless of how good this Packers team was, the Bucs' defense was better, and made for a truly disappointing end to the season. Now Tom Brady goes to another super bowl, and the Packers, who deserved to, don't.

Bills- Chiefs

Prediction: I'd LIKE the Bills to win but the Chiefs are the better team, especially with Mahomes back

Reality: Yeeeahhh, this one wasn't even close, was it? As good as Josh Allen was, Patrick Mahomes was better, and had some explosive TD plays all night. Yes, Eric Fisher won't be heading to Tampa in 2 weeks, but Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and the whole gang were on fire tonight, and dwarfed a Super Bowl-caliber Bills team. 

So now we're looking at a Bucs-Chiefs Super Bowl. Brady vs. Mahomes. How absolutely boring. This is the kind of outcome that people predicted early in the season that I shrugged off because it couldn't be that cut and dry. But, sure enough, the Chiefs repeat as AFC Champs, and Brady and the Bucs sniveled their way to another Bowl themselves. I guess I'm rooting for the Chiefs again? I dunno, it's a conflictingly bland matchup, and I'm glad I can just watch it as yet another Super Bowl I don't have a vested interest in than to actually have a horse in it. 

Whatever. It's a Super Bowl at home, but this isn't really the genuine Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is it? It's a team that Tom Brady has hijacked in an effort to win a seventh ring that he doesn't need. The only excited Bucs fans that are gonna be there in 2 weeks will be bandwagoners.  And yes, maybe a few diehard fans, but this isn't really a homegrown, earned team like the 2003 one was, is it? 

Whatever. We're nearly back at baseball season. You'll hear less of my grumblings over time. 

NFL Division Games: I Think I Like How This is Looking Edition

 

Rams-Packers:

Prediction: The Packers at Lambeau will walk all over the Rams. It won't even be close. 

Reality: ....yeeeeeahhh. Though it was a tense, tight game for a bit, the Pack pulled away late and despite the best attempts by Sean McVay and friends, it wasn't close. Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Aaron Jones, Robert Tonyan and A.J. Dillon are looking pretty dominant, and looked even scarier on Saturday. I'd love to see this team finally make another Super Bowl, but it all comes down to how tough their NFC Championship opponents will be. 

Bills-Ravens:

Prediction: The Ravens have the momentum, and they have the toughest running QB in the AFC. It'll be close, but the Ravens will show up and take it late.

Reality: Not that. The Ravens only scored a field goal all night. Lamar Jackson was taken out with a concussion, and Lamar Huntley had to finish the game for them. Meanwhile, Josh Allen continues to play like Josh Allen, Diggs and Singletary had big games, Taron Johnson had that incredible interception return for a touchdown, and the Bills massive seem to be more excited than they've been in years. I hope something happens for them this year. I really do.

Chiefs-Browns

Prediction: It won't especially be close. Chiefs win again.

Reality: It was actually kinda close, in that the Browns were within a touchdown, and if things had gone differently, they could have come back and won it all. But the way the Chiefs had the ball in the late 4th, it was never gonna happen, even without Pat Mahomes. I'm sincerely hoping that Mahomes is back next week for the Chiefs, even though I'm not sure how serious the concussion was. At the very least, the Chiefs still have a lot of nice pieces doing well for them, and the Browns have a finish they can be proud of as the regroup for 2021. Still...if the Chiefs don't have Mahomes next week, the Bills might have to start packing for Tampa.

Saints-Bucs

Prediction: It'll be close, but the Saints have the edge in terms of the way the teams are built, so they'll pull out in the end. 

Reality: FOUR PICKS? FOUR PICKS OFF OF DREW BREES? Lord almighty, that is not the way you wanna round out a career. That is just terrible. Brady, Evans, Suh...they all outdid them, and the defense came out in droves. Even if Brees had the better first half, Brady and the Bucs had the momentum. And once again, the Saints fans get absolutely tortured in January. I hate it. I absolutely hate it. 

Next week- Packers-Bucs, Chiefs-Bills. Three teams I enjoy and one Brady-fronted dud. I'd love a Packers-Bills Bowl, I'd be fine with a Super Bowl I rematch, and I will be very angry if the Bucs end up going to a damned Super Bowl. 

Football Custom of the Day: Cobb Edition

Tonight, for the approval of the Thursday Night audiences, witness one of the simplest Thursday Night Football match ups possible.

I know, the Vikings can actually be really good at times, but did you even see what the Packers did to the Bears last week? They threw them up against the wall. It was insane. So if the Vikings are in the bottom half of the division, they aren't in for a good time either.

Also, look for the guy above to have a really good game. Randall Cobb has been impressing so far, and I imagine he'll be making a lot of really nice plays tonight.

Not too much else to say.

Coming Tomorrow- I have no idea.

Just When You Think All Hope Is Lost

Aaron Rodgers will play Game 17, as opposed to watching from the sidelines. Which means two things.

A. One of the game's best QBs is healthy, confident, and ready to potentially nab a playoff spot.

B. This guy better watch his back.

Oh, Sunday is gonna be so awesome.

Football Custom of the Morning: Jennings Edition

I thought, seeing as the Vikings were crap for most of this season, that I'd never get to post this card. However, they squeaked past the Redskins a few days ago, and now I get to post a card of a former Packer that betrayed me.

Believe me, there have been worse. Ahman Green went and became one of the stars of a barren Texans lineup. Bubba Franks stranded himself in Cleveland. Worst of all, Darren Sharper found his way onto a Super Bowl winning roster, albeit a year before the Packers made it.

But there's something about Jennings' jumping of the ship that stings, slightly. Maybe it was how good he was with the Packers. Maybe it was how he got injured halfway through last season. Maybe it was the fact that he's still doing alright this season, given the circumstances.

Whatever the case, I'll still remember the days of his Packers years, and his time when I didn't hate him as much.

Coming Tomorrow- Football Predictions. I forget who the headliner is. Probably another former Packer.

I may have done something crazy...

That's right. Football customs.

Don't worry, I'm not doing this due to a lack of free time, or boredom. I'm simply doing this because I was bound to sooner or later. Besides, the baseball ones have gone momentarily dry, though I'll still definitely work on those.

Also, it'll be a way of keeping consistent and relevant in months like November and January, when my posts are usually inconsistent. And also, with all the football boxes I've been receiving, I have been turning into a football card collector, as well as a baseball card collector.

Dunno if I'll alternate these with baseball ones, but I might need to put another baseball one online tonight, and it's a Yankee. I guess this all worked out, then.