Conference Championships

MileHighGuy

I went to bed at halftime, so missed the climax to what sounds like a great game.

Well done to the Patriots and Rams for reaching the Super Bowl - really is amazing to think this will be the Patriots 11th (!) appearance, and Brady/Belichick's 9th. Glad the Rams made it too, I think on balance they've been the best team in the NFC overall this year and hope we get another SB classic.

Upon further reflection this morning, I think the Saints were hard done by with that PI call - I get that it is a judgement call, but that was pretty flagrant, and while their future is a little uncertain, with an aging QB, the Chiefs can have some consolation from knowing they are likely set for years to come with Mahomes, Hill and Kelce (although I'll bet the Dolphins thought something similar in 1985)

nevelator

Watched both games last night and am paying for it this morning. Was great entertainment, Saints were hard done by with the PI call. I guess on the overall balance of the later game, Pats just about deserve to win.
Is there any talk of both teams being guaranteed a possession in OT? As mentioned previously in the thread - you kinda thought whoever won the toss was going to score a TD last night.

Paully D

Tony Romo was the highlight of the night last night.

An absolutely mind-blowing and informative piece of analysis from start to finish.

eagle eye

Gotta agree Paully. I wasn't gone on Romo when he started out this season but he has improved a great deal and for me is the best color commentator in the game now.
It's not just his knowledge of the game it's that he is living it like you are at home in the couch.

PhuckHugh

Brady>GOAT.

rebelyell99

Nfl showed there true colours last night with that blown call , its all about the big markets and they wanted to show that they made the right decision moving the rams back to LA .Im not a bit excited for this superbowl , patriots will win handily and it wouldnt be right for the rams to win it now really.

j8wk2feszrnpao

Paully D wrote: »

Tony Romo was the highlight of the night last night.

An absolutely mind-blowing and informative piece of analysis from start to finish.

Not the highlight for me
But you are correct, Romo has elevated the expectations now. And makes Witten/Booger look even worse that what they are.

j8wk2feszrnpao

rebelyell99 wrote: »

Nfl showed there true colours last night with that blown call , its all about the big markets and they wanted to show that they made the right decision moving the rams back to LA .Im not a bit excited for this superbowl , patriots will win handily and it wouldnt be right for the rams to win it now really.

It really was a terrible call. Just so obvious.
So glad it wasn't the Pats that got the call or we'd never hear the end of it :P

Don't think it was about markets though. It's just rank bad officiating.

Itssoeasy

As I missed the blown call in the saints vs rams game last night I've just watched it. Jesus is that a bad bad no call by the refs. I know I said last night that calls balance out but having seen the no call I'm not sure. The saints have every right honestly to be very annoyed.

eagle eye

eagle eye wrote: »

Gotta agree Paully. I wasn't gone on Romo when he started out this season but he has improved a great deal and for me is the best color commentator in the game now.
It's not just his knowledge of the game it's that he is living it like you are at home in the couch.

He definitely adds to the experience.

D9Male

Rams Saints was a very good game. I think the Saints would have had a better chance of stopping the Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Rams are clearly a very good team, but they aren't the offence that they used to be and the Gurley situation is puzzling. Enough has been said about the PI call - it was egregious and the Saints are right to be really annoyed.

The Patriots Chiefs game was absolutely brilliant. I am not that keen on the Patriots, but you have to take your hat off to them. That OT drive was absolutely clinical and despite the two (or three?) 3rd and longs, I was certain that Brady was going to get it done. The guy is incredible. He may have regressed slightly from his level a few years ago, but he is just as clutch as ever.

I really didn't want to see a Rams Patriots SB, but we are so lucky to have seen such brilliant conference championship games. I hope the Rams O gets their act together enough to give the Patriots something to think about. Reynolds will be key I think. I have no doubt that the Patriots will put up 30+ .

irishrover99

The Rams players are really taking the piss out of the refs from last nights game.
I think that could come back to haunt them.
Its almost like they've played the Superbowl already, kinda like the Jags last year to a lesser extent.

MileHighGuy

I think we got the two best teams in the SB. For the Rams to go into NO and take out the Saints (with the help of a terrible call) and the Patriots go into Arrowhead and take care of business against the Chiefs, you have to give credit where it is due.

I sense the Rams offense has been figured out somewhat, and they are obviously less explosive than earlier in the year, but I feel the defense has really stepped it up, and are now playing up to their potential. They are absolutely stacked talent-wise on that side of the ball and I have no doubt Wade Phillips will cook up a good gameplan against Brady and the Patriots. The Saints were doing a pretty good New England impression last night, with the amount of passes going to Kamara while Brees and Brady share a lot of the same traits.

New England obviously have the experience, have seen and done it all before. They have really improved as the year has worn on (as seems usual) and New England fans might correct me, but seem to be peaking at just the right time. I dread to think what Belichick can dream up with two weeks to plan for Goff, so lots to look forward to. I'd like to see Brady go out on a high and win one last SB and retire

Trojan

The no call didn't help the Rams win the game, it literally gave them the game. Sickening call.

Son Of A Vidic

After the game last night, Brady left the changing rooms, went to stadium security and asked them where he could find Mahomes. Security brought him to Mahomes and Brady went into him for a private chat. It's classy little things like that, that doesn't make the headlines. No doubt Brady put a big brother arm around Mahomes and filled him with compliments and inspiration. He's a great kid with a great future. I also feel for Andy Reid, I think he's a great coach and he's been through hell off the field. But with Mahomes at the helm, they will be back and if my Pats aren't in the way, I'll be rooting for them.

Knex*

Mahomes arm talent is insane. If he can get anyway towards Brady in his understanding and control of a game, and all the nuances that come with being a QB in total command of an offense, then the sky is the absolute limit.

Really wanted Chiefs to get the Super Bowl last night, solely for Andy Reid. I'd be upset to see him retire without a ring as he's one of my favourite coaches in the game.

That said, their defense has no business being in it. Patriots controlled the game and fully deserve the win. I've given up being resentful watching them succeed and just try and appreciate the greatness.

Would have preferred Saints to be the opposition for the Super Bowl as I just think they are the more complete team. Brees vs Brady would be a great spectacle also. Not to discredit Rams, Goff and McVay, however. Just I think they have more weaknesses than the Saints.

Belichick scheming for McVay in the biggest stage is something he, and hopefully all football fans, will relish.

There will be plenty of passing of the torch comments with the age disparity between head coaches and QBs, but this will be music to New England's ears with all the underdog comments they have been spouting the past two weeks.

Paully D

Son Of A Vidic wrote: »

It's classy little things like that, that doesn't make the headlines.

It was a headline on virtually every sports outlet of note this morning.

Blut2

Paully D wrote: »

Tony Romo was the highlight of the night last night.

An absolutely mind-blowing and informative piece of analysis from start to finish.

+1 to this. I actually found myself during the season watching games I normally wouldn't have bothered to watch, if he was commentating on them. Hes head and shoulders above everyone else. Just a great combination of knowledge, clarity, emotion and humour.

jack presley

Blut2 wrote: »

+1 to this. I actually found myself during the season watching games I normally wouldn't have bothered to watch, if he was commentating on them. Hes head and shoulders above everyone else. Just a great combination of knowledge, clarity, emotion and humour.

https://awfulannouncing.com/cbs/tony-romo-brilliantly-saw-several-key-patriots-plays-coming-down-the-stretch-in-afc-championship-win-over-chiefs.html

Some of the tweets at the bottom the article are great.

eagle eye

jack presley wrote:

Some of the tweets at the bottom the article are great.

I am full of joy after reading that because of the little nugget at the very end which is that CBS have the Superbowl.

Foxtrol

Knex. wrote: »

There will be plenty of passing of the torch comments with the age disparity between head coaches and QBs, but this will be music to New England's ears with all the underdog comments they have been spouting the past two weeks.

The whole underdog thing is laughable. You'd swear they were some rag tag bunch of no hopers from the way they've been going on. They were rightly questioned after some poor performances during the year, like all teams are. I'd say their own fans were the biggest culprits of overplaying it outside of 'the hot take' click bait crew.

I'm sure you have to find new ways to get motivated but it is just silly. They'll be favourites in two weeks and rightly so.

Did anything come out about Gurley after the game?

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Foxtrol wrote: »

The whole underdog thing is laughable. You'd swear they were some rag tag bunch of no hopers from the way they've been going on. They were rightly questioned after some poor performances during the year, like all teams are. I'd say their own fans were the biggest culprits of overplaying it outside of 'the hot take' click bait crew.

I'm sure you have to find new ways to get motivated but it is just silly. They'll be favourites in two weeks and rightly so.

Don't really see how it was laughable, the Chiefs were rightly favourites for the game. Pats only had 3 road wins this year, one of which was away to the Bills without Allen (and with LeSean McCoy lining up at QB several times) and another was at the Jets. They had 5 very poor road losses and in 4 of those our D got torched. The other loss (at Pitt) we put up 10 points. Most people, including yourself, had the Chiefs winning, which indicated we were underdogs.
The underdog tag is a strong motivation, and it was used to great effect by Philly last season (and this season even). Their whole fan base bought every dog mask in the US and it worked a treat. It's only natural the Patriots were going to use it to their advantage, especially with the amount of people writing them off.
IMO the Rams are favourites for the Superbowl, and they opened as such before a bunch of people laid money on the Pats to make them favourites. And of course they're going to use that motivation as well.

Foxtrol

Big Pussy Bonpensiero wrote: »

Don't really see how it was laughable, the Chiefs were rightly favourites for the game. Pats only had 3 road wins this year, one of which was away to the Bills without Allen (and with LeSean McCoy lining up at QB several times) and another was at the Jets. They had 5 very poor road losses and in 4 of those our D got torched. The other loss (at Pitt) we put up 10 points. Most people, including yourself, had the Chiefs winning, which indicated we were underdogs.
The underdog tag is a strong motivation, and it was used to great effect by Philly last season (and this season even). Their whole fan base bought every dog mask in the US and it worked a treat. It's only natural the Patriots were going to use it to their advantage, especially with the amount of people writing them off.
IMO the Rams are favourites for the Superbowl, and they opened as such before a bunch of people laid money on the Pats to make them favourites. And of course they're going to use that motivation as well.

I'm not talking about them being a marginal betting underdog against the Chiefs (them just getting the road team adjustment), I'm talking about the crap Brady was spouting after their last two wins.

Tom if you're reading, I know you're used to everyone fawning over you but a few people picking the other team to win or having legitimate questions about how your team is performing does not mean 'everyone thinks you suck', 'you're too old', or whatever chip you're trying to put on your shoulder.

As I said, I completely understand the motivational reasons for doing it and it definitely works (most Irish teams cant function without it) but you can't compare the Eagles, who lost their MVP level that year QB and a host of other players, to Patriots who are practically fully healthy with the arguable GOAT QB and HC.

Paully D

The Patriots were 3 point underdogs on the road in Arrowhead. Generally, with a few exceptions, the bookmakers will give 3 points to the home team to account for home advantage and therefore the game was essentially a 50/50.

The underdogs narrative is ridiculous in the extreme. They have arguably the greatest QB and greatest head coach in the history of the sport FFS. Literally no-one thinks they are underdogs in any game they play and I’d be astonished if anyone in the Patriots setup, with Brady and Belichick on their side, actually believes it either.

They way they’re going on you’d swear they had been like the Browns for the last 10 years and miraculously gone on a playoff run for the first time this season.

It’s more surprising when they don’t get to a Super Bowl than when they do.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Foxtrol wrote: »

I'm not talking about them being a marginal betting underdog against the Chiefs (them just getting the road team adjustment), I'm talking about the crap Brady was spouting after their last two wins.

Tom if you're reading, I know you're used to everyone fawning over you but a few people picking the other team to win or having legitimate questions about how your team is performing does not mean 'everyone thinks you suck', 'you're too old', or whatever chip you're trying to put on your shoulder.

As I said, I completely understand the motivational reasons for doing it and it definitely works (most Irish teams cant function without it) but you can't compare the Eagles, who lost their MVP level that year QB and a host of other players, to Patriots who are practically fully healthy with the arguable GOAT QB and HC.

I'm still not sure how you can say it's laughable, there were plenty of people saying negative things about him and his team and those views generally get the most exposure because of their nature. History has shown that Tom thrives when he has a chip on his shoulder, so of course he's going to use that as motivation.
As for your middle paragraph, as hypocritical as that is, Brady is still probably one of the most hated athletes in the NFL.
And finally, on an unrelated point, I can of course compare the Eagles situation to it. It doesn't matter the personnel involved. The Eagles were underdogs and they used it to their advantage. They completely blew the underdog thing way out of proportion, but that wasn't laughable, it was highly effective. And so too is what Brady and the Pats are doing.

And I agree with you that they're no where near as big underdogs as he's making it out to be, but again, why wouldn't he do that. Your issue here shouldn't be with Brady and the Pats, it should be with the mainstream media. They've fuelled this whole narrative, rightly or wrongly.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Paully D wrote: »

The Patriots were 3 point underdogs on the road in Arrowhead. Generally, with a few exceptions, the bookmakers will give 3 points to the home team to account for home advantage and therefore the game was essentially a 50/50.

The underdogs narrative is ridiculous in the extreme. They have arguably the greatest QB and greatest head coach in the history of the sport FFS. Literally no-one thinks they are underdogs in any game they play and I’d be astonished if anyone in the Patriots setup, with Brady and Belichick on their side, actually believes it either.

They way they’re going on you’d swear they had been like the Browns for the last 10 years and miraculously gone on a playoff run for the first time this season.

It’s more surprising when they don’t get to a Super Bowl than when they do.

I think the most surprising thing about this point of view is that people are surprised the Patriots are using the underdog thing as motivation. It's a powerful motivator and one that's worked especially well for Brady. The Patriots have had hyperbolic criticism levelled at them for a number of weeks now and (regardless of how unjustified it was) it was used to great effect.
I'm fairly sure most teams in that situation would do the same.

kmart6

Deleted User wrote: »

Did anything come out about Gurley after the game?

https://streamable.com/u0z4n

Foxtrol

Big Pussy Bonpensiero wrote: »

I'm still not sure how you can say it's laughable, there were plenty of people saying negative things about him and his team and those views generally get the most exposure because of their nature. History has shown that Tom thrives when he has a chip on his shoulder, so of course he's going to use that as motivation.
As for your middle paragraph, as hypocritical as that is, Brady is still probably one of the most hated athletes in the NFL.
And finally, on an unrelated point, I can of course compare the Eagles situation to it. It doesn't matter the personnel involved. The Eagles were underdogs and they used it to their advantage. They completely blew the underdog thing way out of proportion, but that wasn't laughable, it was highly effective. And so too is what Brady and the Pats are doing.

And I agree with you that they're no where near as big underdogs as he's making it out to be, but again, why wouldn't he do that. Your issue here shouldn't be with Brady and the Pats, it should be with the mainstream media. They've fuelled this whole narrative, rightly or wrongly.

It's laughable because the Patriots couldn't be further from the characteristics of a team publicly calling themselves an underdog. They've been to 8 AFC Championship games in a row, the last 3 Super Bowls, were pre-season betting favouites for the Super Bowl, and never more than 4th favourite during the season.

Just because Brady thrives while having a chip on his shoulder doesn't mean it isn't funny watching him twist himself in knots to put one there. They were even favourites in the game where afterwards he said 'everyone thinks we suck'...

PhuckHugh

It was great to see the plucky underdog come out with a win on the road. Hopefully they can keep it respectful against the Rams in the Superbowl but that's unlikely.