Through yesterday's games

1. Kansas City
Mahomes, Kelce and Reid. They are going to be tough to beat. Anywhere.

2. San Francisco
Won last ten, 11 including Wild Card game. They can run, stop the run, pass and stop the pass. The only way I see these guys getting beat before SB57 is if Purdy gets rattled.

3. Cincinnati
Probably the hottest team after SF. One of the best season performances for a SB loser, in years.

4. Philadelphia
Were running away with it until Hurts was injured. Is he healthy? Is he rusty? I believe they will have a date with SF in NFCCCG.

5. Buffalo
They have quite the gauntlet to weather since not getting the bye. Miami, Cincinnati or Jacksonville, then more than likely KC. I think they're Raven fans this weekend.

6. Minnesota
Like it or not, they find a way to win. And when they don't, they get blown out. But I believe they're better than #7-14.

7. Dallas
A very good D. A very good O. If they can perform like that, they can beat anybody. Will they? A tougher gauntlet to run than Buffalo. Tampa, Brady and the Refs, SF or Phiily, then probably the other in the NFCCCG.

8. Miami
A good offense when Tua is healthy. Better than most realize on defense. But Tua isn't healthy.

9. Baltimore
A great D. A good O when Jackson is healthy. He is not. They will be extremely lucky to get past Cincinnati

10. Tampa
They have a good D, the GOAT and usually the zebras. Though Brady has not been very good this year, many expect him to flip that switch now. I don't see it.

11. Jacksonville
An epic comeback in the Wild Card game showed they belonged. They have a good D, good STs and a decent offense. I don't think they get any farther but they should improve in 2023

12. NY Giants
Nobody gives them much love. But they are playing the multiple personality Vikings. If they get past them they will be in the same situation as the Jags.

13. LA Chargers
I had them ranked higher than Baltimore before that game last night. But when you blow a 27-7 halftime lead, you are who your record says you are.....and that is part of the record.

14. Seattle
The only reason they're not ranked lower is there are no other teams in the postseason. Well, they aren't anymore but the sad thing is, they didn't even deserve to be there anyway. Detroit got screwed.

Sunday January 15, 2023​

AFC Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals Stage First-Ever Postseason Matchup​

For the second time in as many weeks and the third time this season, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals will meet in a high-stakes game. But given that this is the first time these AFC North rivals have met in the playoffs, it will be unlike any game before it.

Baltimore and Cincinnati split their two regular-season games, with the home team winning each matchup. The Ravens narrowly won 19-17 in Week 5 before the Bengals ran away with a 27-16 win last week.

Of course, one key difference in those games besides the venue was the availability of Lamar Jackson. The 2019 MVP led the Ravens on a last-minute, game-winning drive in the first matchup but has not practiced since suffering a PCL injury on Dec. 4. He is out again on Sunday — Jackson shared on social media on Thursday that his knee "remains unstable" — and backup Tyler Huntley (shoulder) is questionable to play as well.

Baltimore has looked like a completely different team without Jackson, who is set to hit free agency this offseason. Prior to his injury, the Ravens were averaging 25.0 points per game, an average that's been cut exactly in half since.

With rookie Anthony Brown potentially getting the start for the second straight game, it will be an uphill battle for Baltimore to keep up with Cincinnati's high-flying offense. The line opened up at 6.5 points when Jackson's availability was more in question but is now approaching double digits.

So can the Ravens pull off an upset with hopes of Jackson returning for a potential Divisional Round game against the Chiefs or Bills? Or will the Bengals cruise to a second straight win at home against their divisional rivals?

AFC Wild Card: Baltimore (10-7) at Cincinnati (12-4)

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 15 at 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Bengals -9.5
Tickets: As low as $260 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Can Joe Burrow finally solve the Ravens' defense?

Across 17 starts this season, Burrow only has five with negative EPA per dropback. Two of them were against the Ravens. Despite Baltimore blitzing (7.3 percent) and bringing pressure (12.2 percent) less often than their season average, coordinator Mike Macdonald's unit still confounded the Bengals' quarterback.

Some of that could have to do with Cincinnati using a more vanilla game plan against an opponent they were likely to face again the next week. But still, Burrow was not effective on the outside, where he usually thrives, and completed just four of 14 passes beyond 10 yards in the Week 18 game.

The Ravens have found success against the Bengals, among other opponents, by brilliantly disguising their coverage and trusting their cornerbacks to make the play. That's worked twice so far, although it could be hard to fool Burrow a third time, especially in such quick succession.

One area to keep an eye on is the right side of the Bengals' offensive line, where they will be missing guard Alex Cappa, who went down with an ankle injury last week. They just lost right tackle La'el Collins (knee) in Week 16, so they could be particularly vulnerable on that side. Burrow gets the ball out quicker than any quarterback other than Tom Brady (2.55 sec. avg. time to throw), but quick, smart decision-making against this tricky defense will be even more crucial this week.

2. Will the Ravens still be a running threat without Lamar Jackson?

Without Jackson, the Baltimore offense can't run the same. The Ravens obviously miss his dynamic ability, but using Tyler Huntley or Anthony Brown in place of him means that opponents don't have to respect the pass as much. Despite rushing more with Jackson out, the Ravens are picking up fewer yards per game (162.7 vs. 155.0) on the ground.

The difference was clear in the two Baltimore-Cincinnati games this season. In the first, the Ravens racked up 5.5 yards per carry, and 13 of their 22 first downs came via the rush. In the second, they only picked up 4.1 yards per carry, with eight of their 20 first downs coming on the ground.

It's worth noting that star nose tackle D.J. Reader did not play in the first Ravens game, and he's a big difference-maker in this contest. That will be the key matchup to watch as he goes up against Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, who ranks first among centers in pass block win rate (77 percent), and guard Ben Powers (second among guards, 79 percent).

If Huntley is able to go, that will open a new dimension for the Ravens since Brown has three rushes for minus-5 yards in his two games. But regardless, the Ravens need to control the clock to shorten the game as much as possible.

3. Can Baltimore avoid back-breaking mistakes?

Yes, the Ravens cut the final deficit to 11 points last week, but they were never really in the game thanks to four turnovers. Two early interceptions from Brown led to two quick touchdowns as Baltimore spotted Cincinnati a 17-0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter.

Cincinnati's defense has been solid if unspectacular this season, tying for 11th with 24 takeaways. But 11 of them have come in the last four games, including another four-spot against the Buccaneers in Week 15. Safety Jessie Bates III, in particular, has stood out with three forced turnovers in that stretch, including two last week.

Baltimore isn't going to win a shootout. It doesn't have the weapons to keep up with Ja'Marr Chase and Co., and the quarterback position has been a black hole in Jackson's absence. But the Ravens can win a rock fight. It's easy to see how the defense can slow Burrow down, but if they give away many — perhaps any — possessions, that task may become too difficult for this struggling offense that hasn't surpassed 17 points without their MVP.

Final Analysis

There's a football cliché that says it's hard to beat a team three times in a season. Well, it's also hard to stop an elite quarterback three times in a season. Joe Burrow is a good enough quarterback that he should be able to solve Baltimore's defense this time around. Even average play will be enough to reach 20 points, which should be more than enough to win at home.

Prediction: Bengals 27, Ravens 13

Sunday January 15, 2023​

NFC Wild Card: New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings Meet Again​

The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings will meet in Minneapolis for the second time in 22 days when they face off Sunday afternoon in the Wild Card Round. These two met on Christmas Eve with the home team holding off New York 27-24 in a thrilling contest. Minnesota got the victory when Greg Joseph nailed a 61-yard field goal with no time left. The matchup saw a combined 798 yards of offense and three lead changes.

New York is unusually rested for a wild-card team. Before the season began, no one expected the Giants' Week 18 matchup to be meaningless for a good reason. But since they were already locked into the No. 6 seed, they had the opportunity to rest starters in a 22-16 loss to the Eagles. New York's second- and third-stringers were still able to hang tough with Philly as Davis Webb made his first career start. The Giants limped a bit down the stretch going 3-5-1 after their Week 9 bye, but a playoff spot is worth celebrating under first-year head coach Brian Daboll.

The Vikings will also be more rested than usual since they used their starters for only a half in last week's 29-13 victory over the Bears. Minnesota got two rushing touchdowns from Alexander Mattison as well as three field goals from Joseph on their way to the victory. The defense held Chicago to 259 yards of total offense — a season-low for this much-maligned defense — but it was Nathan Peterman under center instead of Justin Fields, so take that with a grain of salt. The win moved them to 8-3 since a Week 7 bye, and it was their first by more than a touchdown since Week 1.

NFC Wild Card: New York (9-7-1) at Minnesota (13-4)

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 15 at 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Vikings -3
Tickets: As low as $162 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Will New York "Die Hard" again?

As mentioned, these two met on Christmas Eve so both teams have some recent game film to go off of. Both signal-callers found a ton of success in that matchup, with Daniel Jones throwing for 334 yards and a touchdown while Kirk Cousins had 299 yards and three scores. That was actually Jones' second-highest output of the season, trailing only his 341 yards against the Lions in November. Obviously, New York would like to use the ground game more, especially since Saquon Barkley averaged six yards per carry in their last matchup. Defensively, the Giants have to try and slow down Justin Jefferson, who racked up 133 yards on 12 receptions. Ironically, it was tight end T.J. Hockenson who actually surpassed the wideout with 13 receptions on 109 yards and two touchdowns. It's understandable if Jefferson beats you, but you can't let the supplemental pieces do more damage.

2. Was the regular season a mirage?

The Vikings set an NFL record by going 11-0 in one-possession games and managed to easily win the NFC North despite having a negative (-3) point differential. They are actually one of four teams in the postseason with a negative point differential, which is odd. Can Minnesota's luck in close contests continue, or will the clock strike midnight on Sunday? Their quarterback is only 1-2 in three postseason starts. Cousins lost with Washington in 2015 to the Packers while he managed to beat the Saints in 2019 before losing in the Divisional Round to the 49ers. His numbers aren't terrible, but you'd expect more than just three touchdowns in 116 pass attempts. Cousins has historically struggled in prime-time games, holding an 11-18 record with a 94.8 passer rating compared to a 63-48-1 record with a 98.6 mark in all other regular-season games. On the flip side, the Giants are 14th against the pass and have allowed 54 more yards per game on the road than they do at home.

3. Was the regular season a mirage (Part II)?

The Giants went over their preseason win total by Week 10 when they started the year out 7-2. As mentioned above, though, the bottom dropped out a bit as they finished with just two wins and a tie over the last month plus of the regular season. Brian Daboll and his staff have done a masterful job with this talent-depleted roster that entered the season with a question mark at quarterback who was playing for his future and a talented running back with recent injury issues. They don't have a true No. 1 wide receiver, which allows opponents to dedicate more bodies to the ground game. Still, with all those issues, the Giants nearly won the first meeting because Minnesota is 31st defending the pass and 20th against the run. Can Daboll put together another great game plan and get this team the victory?

Final Analysis

Something's got to give between a defense that stops nobody and an offense that shouldn't strike fear into anyone. Vegas thinks this is essentially an even contest with most of the three-point edge having to do with Minnesota's home-field advantage. This contest should be close much like the regular-season matchup, but Justin Jefferson will be the difference once again as New York can't slow him down. Daboll deserves Coach of the Year votes, but his team falls short on Sunday.

Prediction: Vikings 28, Giants 24

Sunday January 15, 2023​

AFC Wild Card: Buffalo Bills Look for More Home Cooking Against Miami Dolphins​

It's not how you start, it's how you finish.

And that's exactly what can be said for the Buffalo Bills, who — despite the frightening Week 17 on-field collapse of safety Damar Hamlin — rallied to win their final seven regular-season games en route to clinching their third consecutive AFC East title and securing the No. 2 seed in the playoffs where they'll collide with the Miami Dolphins for the third time this season.

The same magnitude of late-season success certainly cannot also be applied to the Dolphins, who rocked back and forth across a three-game winning streak, three-game losing streak, five-game winning streak, and five-game losing streak over their first 16 games. But in the final week of the regular season, Miami squeaked past the New York Jets 11-6, and — thanks also to Buffalo's 35-23 win over New England — reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.

Looking at these two teams' recent matchups, one-offs and rare occurrences have been quite common for both in this series. Each came away victorious on their respective home fields as Buffalo bounced back from a Week 3 loss in Miami with a Week 15 win in Orchard Park. The Bills' rebound was a welcome sign after the September loss to Miami was their first against their division rivals in nearly four years, snapping a seven-game winning streak and a march of wins in nine of the last 10 meetings. Additionally, the Bills have dominated the Dolphins on their home field, winning six straight and 10 of the last 11 games played in western New York.

But the last time that these two AFC East foes squared off in the postseason was more than 34 years ago, another breaking of trends. The Dolphins won that wild-card matchup, 24-17, in January 1999, their lone playoff victory in four tries (and all of these occurring during the '90s).

AFC Wild Card: Miami (9-8) at Buffalo (13-3)

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Bills -13.5
Tickets: As low as $130 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Can Skylar Thompson build on his experience from last week's start?

Tua Tagovailoa remains out after suffering a concussion in the Week 16 loss to Green Bay, and head coach Mike McDaniel announced on Wednesday that Tagovailoa had not progressed sufficiently enough to return to the field. Combine that with the hand injury Teddy Bridgewater suffered the following week at New England, and Thompson — who entered in relief of Bridgewater in the road loss to the Patriots — will start for the second straight week after leading Miami to a win last week against the Jets.

Thompson certainly did not light Hard Rock Stadium on fire last week, completing 20 of 31 passes for 152 yards and failing to find the end zone. But arguably more importantly, one other stat column in which Thompson also posted a 0: turnovers. In a game where points were at such a premium, Thompson's ability to make smart decisions and avoid turning the ball over was extremely vital as he guided the Dolphins to the win. Now the rookie will have to do the same in his first postseason start and in a hostile environment against a defense that's tied for fourth in the league in both takeaways (27) and interceptions (17). Buffalo also finished in the upper half of teams in sacks (40), although its pass rush hasn't been as productive since Von Miller tore his ACL in Week 12. Miller is still tied for the team lead in sacks (eight with Greg Rousseau) even though he's missed six games.

2. Is Buffalo's offensive line going to be able to protect Josh Allen on Sunday?

Throughout this season, Allen has been nothing short of spectacular, especially as of late. Allen has thrown at least two touchdown passes in five of the last six games (14 total) with just four interceptions. He also has added three scores on the ground during this stretch.

But one of his toughest difficulties has been his ability to stay on his feet, and that has been especially true against divisional opponents this season. In six games against AFC East competition, Allen has been sacked 18 times compared to 15 in the remaining 10 games. The Jets tallied eight of those 18 sacks across Weeks 9 and 14, while the Dolphins and Patriots notched six and four, respectively, in their two games apiece against Buffalo. The Bills were able to escape with a three-point win in Orchard Park when Allen was *only* sacked twice, while the Dolphins pulled out a win of their own when they managed to sack Allen four times back in Week 3. Keep an eye on how much pressure Miami can manage to get on Allen because keeping him upright was certainly one of the main factors in the two matchups between these teams this season and could very well be a critical factor in determining which one advances to the Divisional Round.

3. How will the Dolphins fare on the ground?

In the Week 3 home win against Buffalo, Miami ran for a total of 41 yards (albeit with two of its three touchdowns coming on the ground) on 17 carries. In Week 15 it was a different story with Raheem Mostert piling up 136 rushing yards on 17 carries and Salvon Ahmed chipping in 43 yards and a score on six attempts. The Bills had plenty of trouble slowing Mostert down period as he collected 149 all-purpose yards in the first quarter alone, 101 of those on the ground, 20 more in the passing game, and 28 when he returned the opening kickoff.

However, that was somewhat of an uncharacteristic performance for Buffalo's run defense, which gave up 100-plus rushing yards in only five other games. The Bills have the league's fifth-ranked rushing defense in terms of yards allowed per game (104.6), but they are giving up 4.3 yards per carry (14th). So there could still be opportunities for the Dolphins to gain some ground but they will need to make the most of their carries.

Miami is usually pretty successful when it can run the ball effectively (has won four of the last five games when posting 100-plus rushing yards), but there's also a strong chance the backfield will be down a key piece on Sunday. Mostert broke his thumb in last week's win over the Jets and his status is very much up in the air. If he can't go, that will put more pressure on Jeff Wilson Jr. (72 yds. on 16 att. last week) and Ahmed (12 total carries this season) to produce on the ground to take pressure off of Thompson. Even though he has dangerous weapons to throw to, Buffalo would prefer to put the Dolphins into a situation where Thompson has to air it out.

Final Analysis

Buffalo certainly enters on a tear with wins in each of its last seven (completed) games going into the postseason. That momentum, plus the added pride of playing in Hamlin's honor as the safety recovers and carries the football world by his side, ought to provide plenty of feathers in the Bills' cap on Sunday. Add to that Miami's inconsistency over the last several weeks and the question mark of how the rookie Thompson will play in just his third career start, and the AFC East champs simply appear to have way too much for the Dolphins to overcome.

Prediction: Bills 33, Dolphins 20

Having quite the year so far. Best friend had a stroke on New Year’ Eve morning. Toughest guy I’ve ever known but his kind of stroke doesn’t play. He was taken off life support 5 days ago but his Army tank driving ass wouldn’t here of it. He passed this morning and his only son is pretty lost. Been helping him through this but just so happens, my Aunt passed yesterday morning. So here I sit in the Atlanta airport in order to make her funeral and make it back for my friends. Luckily for me, I can hit the curveball. It’s the fast ball that used to get me. So raise a beer with me for an old tank jockey, Kevin Patrick Mowery, and a really classy Aunt Eva Bowen Prince.

Saturday January 14, 2023​

AFC Wild Card Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars Meet for a Second Time This Season​

The opening day of the NFL playoffs will wrap up with a tasty wild-card matchup between two up-and-coming high-octane quarterbacks and two organizations that have been desperate to get back to the postseason. The Los Angeles Chargers spent the last 350-some-odd days reliving that last-second field goal in overtime at Las Vegas last January which kept them out of the playoffs. That pain was used as motivation to improve to a 10-7 mark this season and find themselves in the postseason.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, meanwhile, have had a worst-to-first type of turnaround, going from the league's worst record two years running to an AFC South-best 9-8 mark. In doing so, the Jags have also become just the third team since 1970 to make the playoffs one year after having the worst record in the league.

The Chargers will be making their first playoff appearance since 2018 thanks to a 5-2 run they have been on since Thanksgiving weekend, including a four-game stretch of wins that helped lock down their postseason spot. And talk about a bunch of cardiac kids, the Chargers have earned seven of their 10 wins by a single score, and five of their seven losses have come in similar fashion. In other words, when the Chargers cinch up their chin straps, buckle your seat belts people.

The Jags haven't been in the playoffs since 2017 and are certainly on a roll. After limping out to a 2-6 start, they have turned their season around, winning five straight games down the stretch to secure the top spot in the AFC South division. This current win streak is the first five-game win streak for Jacksonville since 2005.

The last time these two teams faced off, it was ugly. Like a wart on a witch's butt kind of ugly. Back in Week 3 of the young season, the Jags dismantled the Chargers by a 38-10 count, although both teams will be much healthier for the rematch.

AFC Wild Card: Los Angeles (10-7) at Jacksonville (9-8)

Kickoff: Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Chargers -1.5
Tickets: As low as $133 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Expect a much different Justin Herbert

In that fateful Game 3 blowout, Charger quarterback Justin Herbert was dealing with a painful rib injury and just wasn't his normal self, going 25-of-45 for 295 yards. His 55.6 percent completion percentage and 30.1 QBR were the lowest of any game this season. On top of that, his favorite wideout Keenan Allen was not available for that game either. So this time expect Allen to get plenty of targets, along with his cohorts Josh Palmer and Austin Ekeler, who are all healthy this time around. No. 2 wideout Mike Williams suffered a back injury in Week 18 when head coach Brandon Staley opted not to rest his starters and wasn't practicing as of Thursday.

The good news for the Chargers is that Herbert ranks third in the NFL behind only Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady, averaging 278.7 yards passing per game. And on the opposite side of things, the Jaguars' passing defense ranks 28th, giving up 238.5 yards per game. They are particularly vulnerable to tight ends, so look for Gerald Everett to get his targets, considering he has 58 catches for 555 yards and four TDs this season.

2. Whoever has the better O-line play will win

The Chargers' O-line is a middle-of-the-road unit, allowing 39 sacks this season. But it's their 31 percent pressure rate that they allow, which jumps out. So if the Jaguars can keep their 33 percent pressure rate (good for third in the league), they could make this a hellish game for Herbert and Co. As an example, the Jaguars defenders got 13 hits and four sacks on Tennessee's Joshua Dobbs in their week 18 win.

Meanwhile, Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa — when healthy and playing together — form one of the best one-two sack masters in the league. The good news is that it looks like they'll both be ready for this one, even if Bosa is still being brought up to speed from that groin injury. Trevor Lawrence has proven he can be hot and cold at any given time. If he is pressured enough, it could also be a bad day for his long locks as well.

3. Don't look for the Chargers' defense to be a sieve again

Last Sunday's 31-28 loss to Denver can be looked at as an aberration. Most assuredly, they had been playing better D before that meaningless loss. As mentioned above, Bosa is healing up. He played just 23 snaps against Denver in their ramp-up to the full-time role he should be ready for this weekend. On top of that, cornerback Bryce Callahan will return to his post and will help bolster what is already a very formidable pass defense.

But you can't write a Chargers game preview without mentioning that (still) porous run defense. The Bolts allow 145.8 yards a game and 5.4 yards per carry on the ground, which ranks 28th in the league. Jacksonville's Travis Etiernne Jr. has 1,125 yards on 5.1 yards per carry this season and should be licking his chops for this one. The key will be forcing the Jags to throw, which means it could be vital for the Chargers to jump out to an early lead this week.

Final Analysis

Two things to wrap this up. First, welcome to the one Wild Card Round game that actually has both starting quarterbacks not only surviving the whole season but also playing this weekend. Both Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert stand 6-foot-6, have cannon-type arms, alluring long hair, and are younger than Stetson Bennett. So naturally, you would think this game could be a track meet-type shootout.

Ah, but here's the second point: both defenses have played surprisingly well of late. Take away that meaningless game against the Broncos and you'll see that the Chargers had allowed just 44 points in their previous four games before that and rank as the eighth-best defense in the NFL over the last five games. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are seventh in the AFC in defense and have given up just 22 points in their last three games. So don't expect this to be a game where the first team to score 50 will win.

Either way, as the old adage goes, it is hard to beat a good team twice. And I see a healthier Chargers team getting its revenge on Saturday.

Prediction: Chargers 24, Jaguars 17

Saturday January 14, 2023​

NFC Wild Card: Red-Hot San Francisco Aims for a Third Win This Season Over Division Rival Seattle​

After an embarrassing Monday night for the College Football Playoff with Georgia annihilating TCU in its national championship game, the NFL gets to take the keys back, so to speak, and embark on its 2023 playoff journey. The Seattle Seahawks (9-8) head south to Levi’s Stadium to take on the San Francisco 49ers (13-4) to get things started on Saturday afternoon. San Francisco swept the season series by outscoring Seattle 48-20 in the two games.

It wasn't easy for the Seahawks, but they punched their ticket to the playoffs in dramatic fashion when Jason Myers redeemed himself with a 32-yard field goal in overtime to give them a 19-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Myers had a chance to win it on the final drive in the fourth quarter but hit the upright on a 46-yard field goal attempt. Seattle then had to wait for part two of the equation to get into the postseason, as the Detroit Lions, led by Dan "MCDC" Campbell, finished their own season sweep of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers 20-16 at Lambeau Field. In the win over the Rams, Geno Smith was far from perfect, completing 19 of 31 passes for 213 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. Kenneth Walker III did his part with 114 rushing yards on 29 carries. The defense did enough to keep the Rams' offense in check, holding them to 269 yards with Baker Mayfield throwing for just 147. The Seahawks also did a nice job of getting off the field on third down, allowing Los Angeles to convert on just four of 14 opportunities.

San Francisco enters the playoffs as the hottest team in the league with 10 straight wins. The 49ers made it look easy in their regular-season finale, blowing out the short-handed Arizona Cardinals 38-13. Brock Purdy continued his strong play, completing 15 of 20 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns. The defense gave up just 61 rushing yards and forced four turnovers, including a pair of interceptions by safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. If there was one sore spot in the victory, it was allowing the Cardinals to go for 4-for-10 on third down — but that's really nitpicking in a game the NFC West champs thoroughly dominated.

This will be the second time these division rivals have met in the playoffs. Seattle won the first such matchup, defeating San Francisco 23-17 at home in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 9, 2014. The Seahawks then went on to blow out Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII.

NFC Wild Card: Seattle (9-8) at San Francisco (13-4)

Kickoff: Saturday, Jan. 14 at 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: 49ers -10
Tickets: As low as $113 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Quarterbacks making their postseason debuts

Even though there's a big gap in overall experience between Seattle's Geno Smith and San Francisco's Brock Purdy, one thing both quarterbacks have in common is that this will be their first playoff game. It's been a tale of two seasons for Smith, as a 6-3 start gave way to a 3-5 finish for the Seahawks. Smith's stats in those two splits don't vary much (15 touchdown passes across both stretches) although he did throw more interceptions (four in the first nine games, seven in the final eight). Another factor contributing to Seattle's second-half slump was injuries, but the bigger concern entering this game is San Francisco's defense. The 49ers enter this game ranked No. 1 in the NFL in both total (300.6 ypg) and scoring (16.3 ppg) defense and second against the run (77.7 ypg). The charge is led by Defensive Player of the Year contender Nick Bosa, who had a league-high 18.5 sacks in 16 games. For his part, Smith fared pretty well against this defense in the regular season, completing 74 percent of his passes (55 of 74) for 435 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also was sacked five times, and the 49ers limited Seattle to a total of 20 points in those contests.

On the other side is Purdy, who will be making his sixth career start on Saturday. Compare that to Smith, who has made 51 across his 10 seasons in the league. But all Purdy has done is gone 5-0 as the starter while completing 69 percent of his passes. He's not a prolific passer (219.6 ypg as the starter), but he has been efficient with a sparkling 11:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio (also run in a score) and 8.1 yards per attempt and has done what has been needed to keep San Francisco rolling. The playoffs are a different challenge, especially for someone making their first postseason start, but Purdy has already faced the Seahawks before. In Week 15, Purdy made his second career start in Seattle on "Thursday Night Football." In a hostile environment in the prime-time spotlight, Purdy threw for 217 yards (17 of 26 passing) and two touchdowns with no turnovers in a 21-13 victory that clinched the NFC West. And let's not forget that the Seahawks enter this game on the opposite end of the defensive rankings, checking in at 26th in yards (361.7) and 25th in points (23.6) allowed per game.

2. The 49ers hoping for a repeat performance

One thing that can help Purdy have success in his first playoff game is for head coach Kyle Shanahan to continue to lean on his running game. The combination of Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell should find room to run against a Seattle defense that finished the regular season ranked 30th (150.2 ypg) against the run. In Week 15, McCaffrey gashed the Seahawks for 108 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries while Mitchell didn't play due to a knee injury. Mitchell, who was limited to five games in the regular season due to this injury, returned last week against Arizona and picked up 55 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries (11.0 ypc). If San Francisco has its way on the ground, that should make it easier for Purdy to distribute his passes to wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, as well as tight end George Kittle, who also had a big game (4 rec., 93 yds., 2 TDs) the last time these two teams met. Getting pressure on Purdy will be key since Seattle needs to disrupt his rhythm and try and rattle his confidence, but the Seahawks only got to him once the first time, and they won't have the crowd noise advantage on Saturday. Seattle must hold up early against the running game and force a few turnovers or it could be a long afternoon in Levi's Stadium.

3. The challenge of beating a divisional rival a third time in the same season

Last season, San Francisco entered the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams having swept the season series against their divisional rival. The 49ers built a 17-7 lead entering the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium only to watch the Rams rally with 13 unanswered points. After going ahead 20-17 with less than two minutes remaining, Los Angeles picked off Jimmy Garoppolo to seal the 20-17 come-from-behind victory and went on to defeat Cincinnati in Super Bowl LVI. Now a year later, San Francisco finds itself in familiar territory — trying to beat a division rival three times in the same season. This isn't an easy feat, according to a Tweet earlier this week from Seattle-area KCPQ (FOX 13) sports director Aaron Levine.

So even though the 49ers will enter this game as heavy favorites with clear advantages in most areas on paper, they also will bear the most pressure. Anything can happen once the playoffs start, and the challenge is often tougher when you're facing a team that already knows you pretty well. San Francisco needs to stick to the game plan that has worked so well during this 10-game winning streak, but that's easier said than done, especially when the stakes are raised.

Final Analysis

Head coach Pete Carroll will not be fazed by his team's status as a heavy underdog, since he has led the Seahawks to 10 playoff appearances in his 13 seasons as head coach. In this era of the NFL, it is extremely difficult to maintain that level of consistency. So, expect Seattle to put up a fight in this game, but in the end, until the offensive line can prove otherwise, it won't be enough, and the 49ers will play clean enough football to advance to the Divisional Round next weekend.

Prediction: 49ers 24, Seahawks 16

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/lisa-marie-presley-elvis-priscilla-only-child-dead-54

Article is really long


RIP Lisa Marie

Did the Rams trade future/long-term assets to build a championship team in 2021?

YES

Was this “all in”/F them picks approach the primary or proximate reason why the team collapsed in 2022?

NO
(SEE “Injuries.” - @Kupped)

So please… for the love of whatever deity you recognize…

LEAVE THE INANE AND UNINFORMED CAUSE/EFFECT STATEMENTS FOR THE IGNORANT NATIONAL COMMENTATORS AND ASSORTED NON-RAMS FANS!!!!

Thank you.

Why Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa now must face questions about concussions and his future​

In the moments before and after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was taken away on a stretcher, his younger brother, Taulia, kept trying to call his mom. There was no answer. Their parents, Diane and Galu Tagovailoa, were at the Dolphins-Bengals game in Cincinnati. Taulia was 500 miles away and needed someone to tell him Tua was OK.

Like his brother, Taulia is a football player, but what he had just seen scared him -- Tua spun around and violently flung to the turf, smacking the back of his head on the ground. He remained on the Bengals' logo, with his forearms raised and his fingers stiffened in a contorted position near his face.

It was Thursday night, Sept. 29, more than three months before Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin would lie on the same field in Cincinnati while a team of medics rushed to resuscitate him and help save his life. On both nights, everything eerily stopped. The game eventually went on the night of Sept. 29, but Taulia Tagovailoa, the starting quarterback for the University of Maryland, had a walk-through practice the next day and a game against Michigan State to prep for and all he could think about was finding a flight, immediately, to see Tua.

He tapped his mom's number again, and again, and started to cry. "It just looked really bad," he said.

When Diane Tagovailoa answered, she said Tua was with the doctors and had to be rushed to the hospital. His father eventually got on the phone and told Taulia to focus on Michigan State. But he barely slept that night. On his way to the Terrapins' team hotel the next day, he received a FaceTime call from his brother. Tua was smiling.

In an effort to allay his brother's fears, Tua, 24, recited his name, birthday and other basic information. He joked that he didn't have a concussion. But by then, he had hit his head on the ground twice that last week of September; the first was not reported as a concussion, the second one was. He'd be the impetus for an investigation by the NFL and NFL Players Association into how he was cleared to play, which prompted changes in the league's concussion policy.

On Christmas Day against Green Bay, Tagovailoa suffered another concussion, and he hasn't played since. Miami's fortunes have risen and fallen on the back of Tagovailoa, whose transformation in his third year prompted chants of M-V-P and faraway thoughts of a Super Bowl. With Tagovailoa, the Dolphins are 8-4 in games he's finished and 1-4 without him. His passer rating leads the NFL (105.5), ahead of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes (105.2).

So naturally, a long-suffering fan base hung on every injury report and update from coach Mike McDaniel this week as the Dolphins prepared for Sunday's wild-card matchup at Buffalo, their first playoff game since 2016. On Wednesday, McDaniel said Tagovailoa still hasn't been cleared to practice, and won't play this weekend.

McDaniel called it "frustrating" for Tagovailoa, who celebrated with his teammates in the tunnel Sunday after the Dolphins, playing with rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson, eked out an 11-6 playoff-clinching victory over the New York Jets. McDaniel said it was a big goal for Tagovailoa to get his team to the playoffs, and play in them.

But take away the ambiguity in Week 3, in which Tagovailoa was listed with a back injury in the Buffalo game, and his status this week -- and next week should the Dolphins pull out the upset -- might not even be in question. Two renowned concussion experts told ESPN that Tagovailoa's head trauma during the Bills game had the appearance of a concussion. Dr. Julian Bailes, chairman of the department of neurosurgery at NorthShore University Health System, said that's significant because three concussions in a finite period is generally the threshold that requires a player to be held out for an extended amount of time, possibly months. If Tagovailoa has had three concussions, Bailes believes he should sit.

"The brain doesn't know whether it's the playoffs or not," he said. "The brain doesn't appreciate what part of the season you're in. It needs to recover."

ON SEPT. 26, the day after Tagovailoa hit his head on the ground during the Bills game, Dr. Chris Nowinski was in rural Nebraska telling the widow of former Harvard teammate Chris Eitzmann that her husband, who died in 2021 of alcohol poisoning, was found to have had CTE. In the years since Nowinski co-founded Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, he has had many conversations like this. But this time, he was trying to explain to Eitzmann's 14-year-old son why his dad wasn't there anymore.

It had been a long week for Nowinski, vacillating between sadness and anger. He fired off three tweets during and shortly after the Dolphins-Bills game, calling the back-tweak diagnosis "bull$hit."

Tagovailoa had been pushed to the ground in the second quarter against the Bills and hit his head. He got up on his own, shook his head, staggered and temporarily had to be propped up by two teammates. But he returned to the game after halftime and led the Dolphins to a 21-19 victory. Tagovailoa told medical staff he aggravated a back injury on the play. Although Miami never ruled the injury a concussion, Nowinski told ESPN he believed that it was.

On Thursday, Sept. 29, a few hours before the Bengals game, Nowinski tweeted, "If Tua takes the field tonight, it's a massive step back for #concussion care in the NFL. If he has a 2nd concussion that destroys his season or career, everyone involved will be sued & should lose their jobs, coaches included. We all saw it, even they must know this isn't right."

Tagovailoa played that night in Cincinnati and later would say he was knocked unconscious. His hands were in a modification of the fencing response position -- automatic movements of the body that occur from impact. His cousins were so affected by the scene that it prompted a group chat among about 15 people, including their spouses, and they worried and prayed for him.

After Tagovailoa's concussion in Cincinnati, Miami reached out to Bailes. The Dolphins were examining how they should proceed with their quarterback, and Bailes said he was one of a small group of doctors contacted.

Bailes, a member of the NFL's Head, Neck and Spine Committee and the NFLPA's Mackey-White Health and Safety Committee, was a Pittsburgh Steelers team doctor during the latter part of the career of center Mike Webster, the first player Dr. Bennet Omalu diagnosed with CTE. Research from Omalu and Bailes eventually forced the NFL to rethink its policies on players' health and brain safety.

Bailes said that he didn't examine Tagovailoa and that he believes the Dolphins handled the Cincinnati concussion properly in sitting the quarterback from Sept. 30 to Oct. 22. In all three of Tagovailoa's blows to the head, Bailes said that the mechanisms of injury were "very similar" in that he was thrown to the ground and hit the back of his head. Because he fell backward, he couldn't break his fall.

On Oct. 1, the NFLPA fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant involved in the decision to allow Tagovailoa to return to the Buffalo game. Multiple sources said the firing came after it was found the consultant made "several mistakes" in his evaluation. A week later, after its joint investigation with the NFLPA, the league added "ataxia" to its list of symptoms for which a player cannot return to a game. Ataxia is defined by the National Health Service as a group of disorders that affect coordination, balance and speech.

Nowinski said there is a growing awareness that hits to the head occurring close together in time are "riskier" for long-term issues. He also said studies show that with each concussion the odds of having another one increase.

"Why we think that happens includes what they call the neurometabolic cascade, the chemical and metabolic changes that occur with a concussion," Nowinski said. "Once they're triggered once, it may require a slightly lower threshold to make that happen again. Your brain's resilience may be diminished in the sense that you've got 86 billion or so neurons and trillions of connections between them, and when you get a concussion, you lose some, but it's not enough to permanently impair you.

"But if neurons die, if axons are severed, they don't come back. And if you just keep taking some away with each concussion, eventually your brain can't overcome the damage and the [ability to recover] becomes diminished."

TAGOVAILOA'S FORTUNES, at least from a football perspective, changed with one call on Feb. 7, 2022.

McDaniel had just been named head coach of the Dolphins and was flying from the West Coast to South Florida when he FaceTimed his new quarterback from the plane. McDaniel told Tagovailoa that he knew he had the ambition to be great and that his job as coach was to get all that greatness out of him.

"I'm going to make sure that when you look back at this day, you're going to be like, 'Damn, that was one of the best days of my career, too,'" McDaniel told him.

Tagovailoa, the Dolphins' fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, had been widely considered a bust up to that point, so much so that in 2021 Miami considered pursuing and did due diligence on Deshaun Watson amid civil litigation alleging sexual assaults. This past August, an NFL investigation concluded that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and minority partner Bruce Beal had violated the league's anti-tampering policy on three occasions, from 2019 to 2022, in conversations with quarterback Tom Brady and the agent for then-New Orleans Saints coach Asshole Face.

Brian Flores, the Dolphins' coach at the time, had a chilly relationship with Tagovailoa. Flores was defensive-minded and known for being intense. In close games, he would bench Tagovailoa in favor of veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Mike Locksley, Tagovailoa's offensive coordinator at Alabama, said Tagovailoa is a people person who doesn't necessarily operate well with dysfunction.

"Not that you can't jump his butt. I've seen times when coach [Nick] Saban would get after him," said Locksley, now the head coach at Maryland. "He's not hard to coach. He wants to please his coaches and please his teammates, almost to a fault, where he'll put someone else above himself."

McDaniel was seemingly the anti-Flores -- loose, funny, nerdy and oozing with positivity. Tagovailoa didn't know how to respond to it at first and proceeded with cautious optimism. But McDaniel inspired him to work harder and be better.

The 2022 season began, essentially, in a park near Tagovailoa's house in South Florida. It was summer. Tagovailoa's receivers met their quarterback, some in shoulder pads and helmets, for workouts that stretched as long as 2½ hours in the punishing heat. Tua Tagovailoa's brother, Taulia, trained with them and could sense the chemistry building.

The Dolphins had just added All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill and top free-agent tackle Terron Armstead in the offseason in part to build a support system around their quarterback, and there was Hill, formerly a favorite target of Mahomes', in that heat, on Tagovailoa's turf, running routes.

The first game of the season inspired hope, a 20-7 win against the New England Patriots. But Miami fans have seen hope wane through more than a dozen quarterback failures in the lost decades post-Dan Marino. Skepticism was a given.

All that eroded in Week 2. Tagovailoa put together a six-touchdown, 469-passing-yard performance, rallying his team from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit in a victory over Baltimore that made the Dolphins 2-0 and brought hysteria that Tagovailoa wasn't just their franchise quarterback -- he was going to take them to places they hadn't been since the 1980s. "That was f---ing awesome," Marino said after the comeback.

But every high seemingly came with a subsequent low of equal value, and the Buffalo win the next week was met with the reality of Tagovailoa's first head injury.

Miami would win five games, then go on a five-game losing streak. It would go to Buffalo on Dec. 17 and nearly beat the Bills in frigid temperatures, then, just when it appeared as if the Dolphins were back on track, would lose Tagovailoa to another concussion in a home loss to Green Bay.

In the first half of that game, he was tackled after a throw and fell and hit the back of his head. He got to his feet and did not leave the game. He threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter. McDaniel told reporters that the Dolphins reviewed film from the game and saw things that "caused them to prod" Tagovailoa. After further discussion and observation of him Monday after the game, they advised him to visit with team doctors, and he was placed into the concussion protocol.

It prompted another investigation by the NFL and the NFLPA, which concluded that concussion protocols were not violated because Tagovailoa didn't exhibit visible signs of a concussion during the game.

Tagovailoa has eschewed one-on-one interviews this fall, saying he wanted his play to do the talking. When healthy, it has. He threw for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns despite the chunks of season taken away by concussions. He completed 64.8% of his passes, with three of his eight interceptions coming in the fourth quarter of that Green Bay game.

Vinny Passas, his high school quarterback coach at Saint Louis School in Hawaii, was in the middle of a training session Dec. 26 when an alert popped on his phone that Tagovailoa had suffered another concussion. He said he couldn't remember seeing Tagovailoa endure as many setbacks and challenging moments as he has in 2022.

He knows how hard it must be for Tagovailoa to sit. Passas has coached high school football in Hawaii for more than 40 years, and mentored quarterbacks such as Marcus Mariota and Timmy Chang. In Polynesian culture, Passas said, a mentality of toughing it out and playing through injuries is deeply ingrained.

"I remember coaching in a Polynesian Bowl game where a quarterback took himself out after a hit," he said. "At halftime, a couple of Polynesian players told him, 'Gosh, if we did what you did by taking your pads off and not playing the second half, our parents would come down here and give it to us because we'd be, like, embarrassing our family like that.'"

Tagovailoa's parents did not respond to interview requests for this story. In an interview with Maria Taylor for "Football Night in America" in late October, as Tagovailoa returned from his Cincinnati concussion, he said that his injuries had been "a little tough" for his parents. He also acknowledged to reporters that week that he's always been a quarterback who opted to try to make something happen, who'd wait for receivers to get open instead of throwing the ball away. But he was learning, he said, and was now thinking about his longevity.

His first game back against Pittsburgh, he tried to bulldoze defenders, twice.

Adam Amosa-Tagovailoa, a former offensive lineman at Navy who is Tua's cousin, said that when they were children and needed to be reminded to never give up, their grandfather Seu would tell them about the story of the lion and the gazelle.

"The gazelle wakes up running away from danger," Amosa-Tagovailoa said, "while the lion wakes up hungry, always starving, trying to get to the next meal."

IN THE END, McDaniel's positive vibes and Tagovailoa's spurts of brilliance could not withstand an offseason inevitability: Tua's future in Miami is once again murky. The Dolphins have until May to decide whether to exercise his fifth-year option.

Will they sign Tagovailoa to a long-term extension after a year in which he has proved he is capable of high-level play but also with durability issues a concern? Tagovailoa was considered an injury risk in the 2020 draft because his college career at Alabama ended when he took a sack and dislocated his right hip, also fracturing its posterior wall, and suffered a concussion and a broken nose.

"You can't tie the money to a player you're not sure can stay healthy," an AFC exec told ESPN. "If he didn't have the medical history, maybe you think harder about doing something. The concussion dynamic is harder to figure out since I'm not sure his medical on that.

"The Dolphins are in a tough spot, because he's a good player but a lot like Kirk Cousins. If you give him good football players, he's going to be productive. If you ask him to go win a game and put a team on his back, that's asking a lot."

Despite all the hits in 2022, Nowinski, a neuroscientist who co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation, said he does not consider Tagovailoa to be concussion-prone. He said that's a subjective label given to people who have had multiple concussions over many years. But he is worried that NFL teams might label him that to justify paying him less or not giving him as many opportunities.

"I'm highly concerned that he will get that label, and not fairly," Nowinski said. "I would look at it as he had one concussion, which happens. He then receives an improper diagnosis and care and received what is either a second concussion or a hit that exacerbated the first. But either way, it left him susceptible for months to a future hit, causing another concussion, more susceptible than he had been prior, which is, I think, what we saw.

"None of this was his fault. He's been playing football for a long, long time and never had these issues. ... We need to give him time to properly recover before he should be given any labels."

The NFL does not share concussion tracking information during the season but provides injury data at the end of each season. In 2021, there were 187 reported concussions in the regular and preseason combined. This year, the league has conducted three investigations into the application of concussion protocol -- one with New England receiver DeVante Parker and two with Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa's agent is Leigh Steinberg, who for decades has represented the top quarterbacks in the NFL, from Steve Young to Mahomes. Steinberg is known for being at the forefront of player safety in regard to brain injuries long before football acknowledged them. Steinberg was holding seminars to educate his players on the long-term effects of concussions as early as the 1990s. He declined to comment for this story.

In an interview in November, Taulia Tagovailoa said he was "really nervous" to watch his brother play in his Week 7 return against Pittsburgh. He didn't know how he'd play or move. But he said Tua didn't skip a beat, and that gave him comfort.

There are decisions to be made by the Dolphins, and by Tagovailoa. He and his wife, Annah, became parents this year. When asked what was the difference in his brother's game this season, Taulia cited chemistry, then thought about it some more. The biggest difference, he said, is that Tua has a son, and that motivates him and helps him block out everything else.

"I think his son really changed his life," Taulia said. "When he comes home, it's bigger than football. It's your son. You always want to be good for him. You always want him to grow up and say, 'That's my father.'"

NFL’s new postseason overtime rule means game doesn’t end with a TD on first possession​

In last year’s playoffs, the Bills and Chiefs played one of the greatest games in NFL history, but it was a game that left many fans feeling unfulfilled: It ended with the Chiefs receiving the overtime kickoff and scoring the game-winning touchdown on the opening possession. Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had played a brilliant game, never touched the ball in overtime.

This year, that won’t happen: The NFL changed its playoff overtime rules in the offseason, and now postseason games won’t end with a touchdown on the opening possession of overtime.

Now if a team scores a touchdown on the first possession of overtime, it will line up to kick an extra point or attempt a two-point conversion. Then that team will kick off, and the other team will get a chance to score a touchdown. If that team does score a touchdown, it will line up for an extra point or two-point conversion of its own. It’s possible that the game can end at that point: For instance, if the first team kicked an extra point, the second team can try a game-ending two-point conversion attempt. But if the score remains tied after both teams’ touchdowns, at that point the team that scored the second touchdown would kick off again, and from there on it would be sudden-death overtime.

The new rules could lead to some new strategies: Some coaches may actually prefer to kick off to begin overtime, on the thinking that they’d rather know what the other team has done when they get the ball, and know if they need to play for a touchdown or can settle for a field goal. Some coaches may be more aggressive about going for two after a touchdown.

There is still one scenario in which both teams don’t get a possession in overtime: If the team kicking off
to start overtime scores a safety on the receiving team’s initial possession, the team that kicked off is the winner without ever possessing the ball. For instance, if the kickoff returner gets tackled deep in his own territory, and then on the next play the quarterback is sacked in his own end zone, that safety ends the game.

Unlike regular-season overtime, which is 10 minutes long, playoff overtime is essentially starting a new game: Teams will play 15-minute periods until there is a winner. If there’s been no winner after two 15-minute periods, there will be another kickoff to start the third overtime period, although there won’t be a halftime break between periods. Needing to go to a third overtime period has never happened in NFL history.

Charles White dies at 64​

RIP

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OK, so I don't get to listen to local Seattle sports radio that often anymore, since COVID has moved me to remote, but I do catch it now and again when taking my daughter to school.

This morning, the show had KJ Wright (former Seahawk LB) on the air discussing the upcoming playoff game with the Whiners. When the Rams game came up, he said something like "Well you have to admit, we were lucky to even get into the playoffs. Thank God we got help from the worst officiating of the season".

As background, the Seahawks and their fans all believe they get the short end of the stick from refs. Who can blame them after that travesty of a Super Bowl against the Steelers?

Anyway, KJ goes on to say "That running into the kicker was a horrible call, but worse...how do you NOT call Metcalf for sticking his fingers into Ramsey's helmet with the ref standing right there looking at it?"

Their laughter about how lucky they were hurt on one level, but at least gave me some level of relief knowing it's not just our fan blinders. Even the team that complains about the most benign of calls going against them, admits we got robbed...

He spoke open and honestly on Twitter. And I like his thoughts. Makes me proud to be a Hawkeye. I don't disagree with anything. He also responded to a @JKBOGEN tweet later on.

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The question is not SHOULD he stay.

The question is not whether you WANT him to stay.

The question is whether you think he WILL OR WON'T stay.

There are a few positions I'd rule out entirely as targets for the #37 pick (QB, probably DT, inside linebacker, SS, probably FS).

So what position would I target. Here are my pros and cons:

Running Back
Pros: Should be very good value at pick #37. RBs very often make a significant impact as rookies. Can't fully rely on Cam Akers or Kyren Williams.
Cons: If Akers plays like he did in the second half of the season, and Williams develops, our need would be very limited. There could be very good options later in the draft.

Wide Receiver
Pros: Very good, immediate impact options could be available. Depth chart strong but, as we saw this year, you can always use more.
Cons: Don't need a No. 1. Probably don't need a No. 2. Unless we're going to move a player like Robinson or Jefferson, this is a position that can wait until Day 3.

Tight End
Pros: Very good options at this stage of draft.
Cons: Unless the offensive system changes, a TE is just not a primary player. We still have Tyler Higbee, so this is not a big need.

Offensive Tackle
Pros: One could argue that a long-term solution at LT is our biggest need
Cons: May not be viable options this late in draft.

Offensive Guard/Center
Pros: Can get one of the top OGs, may be able to get a Top 2-3 center, in early 2nd round.
Cons: Its a glue/core spot, as opposed to a playmaker spot. Impact may not be dramatic, and may not need to pull trigger this early.

Edge Rusher
Pros: Definite need. Pass rushers can make huge impact.
Cons: May not be a plug-and-play guy that gets out of first round.

Cornerback
Pros: Definitely can be impact players available here. Would be great to bookend Ramsey.
Cons: High boom/bust risk at this position.

All things considered, my first preference would be a LT, but I'm currently skeptical that a worthy one will be available (keeping an eye on the Senior Bowl for possible 2nd round "sleepers").

As a result, I'm on the fence between interior OL and CB.

Thoughts?

Here are the things I want to know...

1. McVay to stay?

Sean McVay has created this issue with deliberately cryptic remarks about his future. This has led to an avalanche of speculation and discussion of contingency plans. All of this could be over in a few days, as McVay may, after catching his breath, recommit to the team. If not, his departure would be a very significant story, as would the decision on what the team would do next for leadership. So, this one is either a tempest in a teapot or the story of the offseason. Stay tuned!

2. Who else will be back?

Matthew Stafford, by all indications, is a lock to return. Aaron Donald, I suspect, will not wish to end his historic career on the sideline (nor will he wish to leave a huge payday on the table), so I expect him back as well. Others are question marks. On the free agent front, guys like Greg Gaines, A'Shawn Robinson, Matt Gay, Nick Scott, Taylor Rapp and, of course, Baker Mayfield are potential departures. I also would not be shocked to see the Rams willing to move (more likely by trade, but perhaps by release) guys like Tyler Higbee, Allen Robinson, and maybe even Leonard Floyd (though his strong finish makes me doubt it). The only thing certain in this game is change.

3. New (or Returning) Veteran Faces?

Will the Rams be buyers in the FA or trade market? I've already predicted that the Rams/OBJ story might not be over. I also would not rule out a Brandin Cooks reunion. One thing is certain... much like the Yankees and Red Sox in baseball or the Lakers or Heat in basketball... when there is a veteran looking to move, the Rams are always in the discussion.

4. A significant rookie class?

The Rams will have more high-end draft capital than they've had in a while (assuming they keep their picks), as they hold the 37th and 69th selections in the draft. Whether they pick at those spots, or move around within day 2 of the draft, the Rams should be in a position to acquire at least two potential starters. Hit on the right guys, and the road back to contention could be a lot smoother.

5. Reverse F them Picks?

Would the Rams consider trading a major asset (we've talked a bit about Jalen Ramsey) to acquire more draft capital? I'd put that on the "unlikely" list, but you never know.

A lot to watch for in the coming months!