2018 NFL Conference Championships

[Quiet Speed]

I was watching the replay of the Vikings-Eagles game on NFLN and realized once again how quickly a game can get away from you. Things can turn on a dime and if you don't have right people with the right mindset and mental toughness, you can't recover.

For the Vikings, it all ended in a 3-min span. Down 14-7 in the second quarter, they were putting together a solid drive and moving the ball. 3rd and 5 with about 3 min to go on the PHI 20, Keenum fumbled (not his fault) and the Eagles recovered. If that doesn't happen, best case they tie the game, worst case it's a FG. Even if PHI gets another score before the half, we are looking at 17-14 or 17-10, a very competitive game heading into 2nd half.

Instead Foles hits Jeffrey with a bomb, somehow they get the ball back again with 20-some seconds left and gain enough yards for another FG and it's 24-7, game over. The Vikings never knew what hit them.

In that scenario, your only chance for a comeback is if you have a HOF'er like Brady or Big Ben at QB.

Very good analysis Finn. The crazy blocking scheme on the Keenum fumble was disastrous. The play changed the course of the game, for sure.

Foles was great. The long throw to Smith on the TD was so well thrown. He threw to a spot he anticipated Smith could make a catch and no one else.

 

[Shadowlight]

It was asking too much wasn't it? A Vikings- Pats SB would have been ideal. But at least the Pats won albeit not too thrilled that neither of these SB teams have white starters on D and in fact the Pats basically have zero white defensive players but I will be rooting hard for the Pats anyway with Amendola, Hogan and Gronk leading the charge.

I have not watched a lot of the Vikings this year and I have to say there is an elephant in the room that the media has pretty much skirted. I did not see the first quarter of their game against the Saints but saw the final three quarters of that game as well as the game last night. Vaunted pass rush? MY ASS. This was the best D in the land? MY ASS. Their front (black) seven was lame. Granted S Harrison Smith is clearly the best player on the team but their front seven showed me practically nothing. They couldn't pressure Brees at all at critical junctures late in that game. And yesterday they were feeble. Thielen seemed banged up yesterday and it is a testament to how well he played this season when I noticed the Vikings have a terrible running game. Truly dreadful.

I am NOT an Eagles fan. However they are still if only slightly, a better alternative to the Falcons. And the Saints had all of their key white players (Fleener, Klein and rookie LB Anzalone) go down so they were essentially caste central too. While back up DE Chris Long has played extremely well in the playoffs without question my favorite player on the team is Zach Ertz. Granted both T Lane Johnson and C Jason Kelce are two of the most athletic OL men in the NFL and so often it is the worker ants that pull the team forward as the glory guys take nearly all of the credit. Ertz, Johnson and Kelce are the key cogs on this team and they will give the Pats all they can handle.

Back to Ertz. Most experts rank Kelce (brother of Jason) and Gronk as the top TE's in the NFL Kelce is the most explosive down field threat and Gronk is just too powerful and rangy for DB's to handle. Right behind them is Ertz. Ertz is the SMOOTHEST TE in the NFL. He looks like he is floating when he runs and the one TE who has that effortless gate in this upcoming draft is Mike Gesicki, a player of great potential who runs like an antelope and jumps like a deer. But Ertz is a player who is capable of putting up huge numbers in the SB.

Being interrupted but will touch on the Pats game in part two.

 

[Claimjumper]

As I predicted, the “feature” player for the eagles for the SB promos would definitely not feature Nick Foles. But without a doubt would have if hell froze over and brissett or hundley made it to the game as a backup

 

[Shadowlight]

Not much to add that hasn't been said about the Pats stirring win but we have to face facts. Rex Burkhead is just one of those players that is injury prone. ALWAYS something. Hope he is healthy enough to contribute in two weeks because they are going to need all of their weapons.

The NFL is a joke. This is the second playoff game I have seen where a black DB deliberately skulls a key white skill player and takes him out of the game. KC was directly knocked out of the playoffs because of that cheap hit. Kelce and now Gronk. In the case of Kelce the refs didn't even flag the criminal. The Pats got 15 yards but lost a key cog. That is a GREAT trade off for the Jags. A mere 15 yards early in the game and removal of the one weapon they fear the most. So why doesn't the NFL actually treat these horrific fouls in a fair manner? In other words they should adopt the college rule and throw the ******* OUT OF THE GAME. Still not a balanced trade off but at least the criminal behavior has real consequences above and beyond a measly 15 yard penalty. WAKE UP NFL. Concussion protocol my ass.

Amendola was the star of the game. A flawless performance. He made those so called Jags LBs ( basically thickened up safeties see Telvin Smith) and DBs look like fools and beat everyone out of his moves and cuts. And his PR set up the winning TD in which he made a brilliant catch and made it look easy.

If the Pats were strictly black you wouldn't hear as much carping after games. The take would be a simple they are TOO GOOD. But since they have white skill players that make a difference too many in the media are under the impression that the Jags made some tactical errors and bad coaching decisions. How else to explain a hyped up black defense getting torched in the second half by white receivers?

And remember Lewis had that fumble on yet another drive down the field. The shaky Pats D had a better game plan in the second half and essentially the Pats won the second half by a bigger margin than the score indicates.

The Pats defense will be up against an OL that allows Foles to run pass/ run options and will be a greater challenge than the Jags. C Kelce is quick to get down the field and powerful and speedy Lane Johnson stuffed the so called big pass rush of the Vikings.

The Eagles have a sound if unspectacular defense. They are not hyper athletic or over speedy. I think Brady will have to throw some more long balls to keep their DB's honest. The Eagles have a good pass rush with a bunch of fresh bodies but Cooks ( who dropped a key long pass yesterday) and hopefully Hogan should have some looks deep if Brady has enough time. The Pats are always in close Super Bowls so no reason to not expect another tight game. That Eagles coach has worked miracles the last two weeks. Does he have one left? I sure hope not.