2016 NFL: Championship Sunday

Conference Championships!!!!  I couldn’t think of a better introduction.  Sorry.  Away we go…

@ Atlanta Falcons 44, Green Bay Packers 21

• Record in the Conference Championship from 1970-present entering this game – Atlanta: 1-2, Green Bay 3-3.
• This will be the last football game in the Georgia Dome.
• The tackle on the opening kickoff looked like a hard hit. I immediately thought that the tackler, Green Bay safety Kentrell Brice, might be hurt – then he stayed down and had to be helped from the field.[1]
• Twice on the opening drive, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan threw passes that a wide-open receiver dropped, but Ryan threw both balls too high.
• Atlanta has so many offensive weapons that it’s terrifying. The 31-plus yard pass to fullback Patrick DiMarco with 10:25 left in the first was a prime example.  The receivers were covered well…but that meant that there was no one underneath to cover DiMarco.
• Atlanta’s first touchdown was entertaining. Ryan looked like he might try to scramble into the end zone, only to flick the ball to Mohamed Sanu, who made a lunging one-handed snag for the touchdown.[2]
• Not to be outdone, Aaron Rodgers hit receiver Jordy Nelson with two consecutive completions of 27 and 15 yards on the second and third plays, respectively, of the ensuing drive.
• At the end of Green Bay’s opening drive, with 5:39 left in the first, they lined up for a 41-yard field goal attempt. Fox splashed a graphic and announcer Joe Buck mentioned that kicker Mason Crosby had made 23 consecutive field goals in postseason play – an NFL record.  His last postseason miss was in the Georgia Dome against Atlanta in the 2010 Divisional Playoffs.  On cue, Crosby missed.[3]
• On the ensuing drive, with 1:09 left in the first, Robinson tried to run with the ball before he caught it, and ended up dropping it.
• Heads-up defensive play with 10:59 left in the second by Atlanta cornerback Jalen Collins to rip the ball out of the hands of Green Bay fullback Aaron Ripkowski[4] inside the five, preserving the 10-0 score.[5] On the ensuing drive, Atlanta increased their lead to 17-0, capped by a 14-yard scramble for a touchdown by Ryan.  I couldn’t believe that no one tackled him, because he didn’t look like he was moving very quickly.
• Fox mentioned that the biggest comeback in NFC Championship Game history was in the Georgia Dome in 2012, when Atlanta blew a 17-0 lead to the San Francisco 49ers and lost, 28-14.
• As I typed the previous sentence, with 4:47 left in the second, Atlanta fumbled. I thought I had hexed it!  Then receiver Taylor Gabriel – the guy whom the shotgun snap hit in the side while he was in motion – fell on the ball, and Atlanta kept possession.
• With 3:04 left in the second, Rodgers dropped back to pass. I saw cornerback Brian Poole blitzing from the blind side and braced myself to see a bone-jarring hit.  Rodgers got clobbered as he threw the pass, which was complete to Nelson on the right side for a nine-yard gain.  I was amazed that he got up as quickly as he did.[6]
• With 2:24 left in the second, one of the strangest sacks I can remember happened. As Rodgers was in the pocket looking for a receiver, defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman broke free up the middle but lost his footing.  Rodgers stepped back to evade his grasp, but Hageman was able to pull his front foot out from under him, causing Rodgers’ feet to collide and bring him down.  How weird is that?  Rodgers has spun and ducked out of all kinds of sacks, and this is what finally causes him to fall.[7]
• On the next play, Rodgers aired it out on a quasi-Hail Mary, which Atlanta safety Ricardo Allen intercepted. At this point, it became apparent to me that this game was going to be what Bill Simmons calls a “This Can’t Be Happening” game.  Everything was going Atlanta’s way.
• Four plays later, Ryan aired it out toward Robinson. Joe Buck said that the ball stayed in the air for half an hour, to give you an idea of how high the pass was.  I thought for sure that Green Bay safety Marwin Evans would intercept it, but he mistimed his jump, and the pass fell incomplete.  Again, everything was going Atlanta’s way.
• To further the point of it being Atlanta’s day, on 2nd and 1 from the Green Bay 7, Ryan’s pass into the end zone could have easily been intercepted by Green Bay cornerback LaDarius Gunter, but he couldn’t hang on, and it fell incomplete. On the next play, three seconds before halftime, Julio Jones made a diving, toe-dragging catch near the right sideline for a touchdown, and the PAT made the score 24-0.
• The last time Green Bay was shut out in the first half of a playoff game was Saturday, January 4, 2003…by Atlanta.[8]
• After Green Bay punted on their opening drive of the second half, Atlanta took two plays to score another touchdown, and this one was exceptionally exciting. Ryan play-faked, then hit Jones, who was cutting across the middle.  Jones turned up the right sideline, broke two tackles, and was GONE for a 73-yard touchdown.  The rout was on.
• Green Bay’s first points came with 9:19 left in the third, and receiver Davante Adams made a beautiful diving catch to get it.
• What an amazing catch by Jones with 8:09 left in the third! He had to leap for the pass, and a split second after he caught the ball, two Green Bay defenders hit him – one high, one low – and flipped him head over heels.  Wow wow wow!
• With 5:43 left in the third, Green Bay safety Morgan Burnett was flagged for interfering with Atlanta tight end Levine Toilolo, giving Atlanta first and goal on the 1. Troy Aikman disagreed with the call, but I agreed with it.  Fox’s rules expert – former officiating supervisor Mike Pereira – also did.
• Atlanta scored another touchdown with 3:25 left in the third on a short pass from Ryan to running back Davante Coleman. Initially, Coleman was ruled down inside the 1, but a replay challenge reversed the call.
• Atlanta appeared to have another interception on the ensuing drive, this time by Jalen Collins with 3:25 left in the third, but replay revealed that the ball hit the ground.
• Two plays later, on fourth and two, Rodgers play faked and then ran a sweep to the right, gaining seven yards and a first down. At the end of the play, he did a dive that was mostly head-first but rolled into a feet-first slide.  It was weird.  An Atlanta defender dove to tackle him at the same time that he began his dive/slide.  Initially, it was flagged, but after a discussion, the officials determined that the slide was not feet-first and picked up the flag.
• After a touchdown by an ailing Nelson[9] on a pass from Rodgers and a two-point conversion, Green Bay – down 37-15 – attempted an onside kick that Atlanta recovered. Shortly thereafter, Coleman ran the ball in for a touchdown.  When he scored, he ran to the end of the tunnel, high-fived a team official, and returned to the field.  The extra point made the score 44-15.
• When Green Bay got the ball for their last drive, down 44-21, they used backup quarterback Brett Hundley. When time expired, I loved the sportsmanship that Green Bay showed toward Atlanta.  I was taught to win with class and lose with grace and dignity.  Both teams did that.
• Great way to say goodbye to the Georgia Dome.

 

@ New England Patriots 36, Pittsburgh Steelers 17

• Record in the Conference Championship from 1970-present entering this game – New England: 8-4, Pittsburgh 8-7.
• Pittsburgh was playing in its 16th AFC Championship Game. New England was playing in its 13th.  They have the two highest amount of appearances.
• I watched the condensed version so I wouldn’t have to listen to Phil Simms ramble semi-coherently after every play.
• On the second play of the game, New England receiver Julian Edelman caught a short pass from quarterback Tom Brady and then juked and zig-zagged his way up the field for a 41-yard gain. Since he had a host of blockers, I thought for a few seconds that he would take it all the way for an exciting touchdown, but he was tackled at the Pittsburgh 22.
• The drive stalled out at the 13, forcing New England to settle for a 31-yard field goal to make the score 3-0. In games like this, Red Zone 3rd Down Conversion percentage is going to matter even more than usual.  Pittsburgh won the battle on this drive.
• Brady had all kinds of time when he found receiver Chris Hogan wide open in the end zone with 2:47 left in the first for a touchdown.
• Pittsburgh had nice drive on their first touchdown. Roethlisberger found his passing rhythm and avoided sacks nicely.  It would have made the score 10-7 in favor of New England, but kicker Chris Boswell – the previous week’s hero, hitting six field goals against Kansas City – shanked the extra point.
• New England ran a beautiful flea flicker to score their second touchdown with 7:43 left in the second. I sensed the makings of a shootout.
• Pittsburgh initially appeared to have a touchdown on a pass to receiver Jesse James with 1:53 left in the second, but replays showed that he was down a foot short. On the next play, New England stuffed the run for a loss.  On the play after that, New England almost took the handoff, dropping running back DeAngelo Williams at the 5.  The third down pass fell incomplete, and Pittsburgh had to settle for a short field goal with 1:43 left in the second.  Victory for the New England defense.  The score was 17-9, and it remained that way going into halftime.
• With 12:42 left in the third, the first penalty of the game was called. I thought initially that it would be pass interference, since it looked to me like Edelman was hit early.  However, it was an illegal hit on a defenseless receiver.  Before referee Terry McAuley announced the offender’s number, I said, “I’ll bet it was Shazier.”  Turned out I was right.  Replay showed that he hit Edelman in the side of the head with the crown of his helmet.  Why does he keep doing this?  My guess is that the penalty isn’t stiff enough, but what should the penalty be, then?  I’m stumped.  Readers, comment your suggestions.  Help me out, here.
• Brady did an up-the-middle sneak on 3rd and 1 for a first down. The ball popped loose and Pittsburgh recovered, but the officials ruled Brady down before he lost the ball.  After review, the call stood.  Jim Nantz and Phil Simms watched the replay and claimed that the ball came loose before Brady was down, but I could see that the forearm was down before the ball started wiggling.  Come on, guys!
• With 3:22 left in the third, New England running back LeGarrette Blount ran up the middle to the Pittsburgh 9 for what looked to be just short of a ten-yard gain, but he kept pushing forward, eventually dragging the pile all the way to the one for an 18-yard gain. He scored on the next play, and the extra point made the score 27-9.  This came right as I was thinking, “Man, Pittsburgh keeps stuffing the run.  Looks like New England has to throw, throw, throw.”
• A Pittsburgh fumble gave the ball back to New England with 2:36 left in the third and a short field, and they took advantage. Edelman caught a Brady pass for a 10-yard touchdown, but Gostkowski missed the extra point, and New England led 33-9.
• Pittsburgh appeared to have scored a touchdown with 13:11 left in the fourth to narrow the deficit, but receiver Cobi Hamilton had run out of bounds during his route, nullifying the score. The 4th and goal attempt was broken up.  New England had full control of the game and was not about to let it go.
• The victory brought Tom Brady’s all-time record against Pittsburgh to 8-2.
• This was New England head coach Bill Belichick’s 11th Conference Championship game appearance, breaking the record he had previously shared with Dallas legend Tom Landry. It was also the 11th appearance for Tom Brady, breaking the record he had shared with Gene Upshaw and George Blanda.
• This was Brady’s 33rd career postseason QB start, breaking his own NFL record.
• This was Ben Roethlisberger’s 20th career playoff game, breaking the team record he had shared with three players from the Steel Curtain dynasty of the 70s and early 80s.

 

Final thoughts

• Both games were blowouts. This is unusual, since at least one of the conference championship games in any given year is usually close.  The last time both conference championship games in a season were blowouts was in 2006, when Pittsburgh and Seattle both won their games by a large margin.[10]
• The better team won each of these games. Atlanta’s offense looks, at times, to be unstoppable.  New England’s offense can also look that way.  Both defenses will have their work cut out for them in the Super Bowl, especially since it will be indoors.
• Atlanta has reached its second Super Bowl. This will be New England’s ninth.

 

Thursday, January 26, 2017, 10:59 am MST

[1] That was one time that I hated to be right.

[2] During that play, Green Bay safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix flattened Atlanta receiver Justin Hardy with a ridiculous cheap shot in the corner of the end zone.

[3] It turns out that before the kick, kickers had been 33 out of 33 on field goals this postseason.

[4] Ripped out of the hands of Ripkowski.  Ha.

[5] At this point, I said aloud, “Atlanta’s going to win.  I can already tell that it’s not going to be Green Bay’s game.”

[6] If any of us mere mortals got hit like that, we’d be getting peeled off the turf and wheeled to the hospital on a stretcher.

[7] But, then again, I don’t care how big or strong someone is, he’ll always go down if you take his legs out from under him, even if it’s because you tie his shoelaces together.

[8] Atlanta, led by quarterback Michael Vick at the peak of his powers (and pre-legal trouble) hung on to win, 27-7, to give Green Bay its first-ever home playoff loss.

[9] He broke his ribs two weeks before in the Wild Card round game against the New York Giants.  I was cringing as I typed this sentence.  A contact sport with broken ribs?  Eesh.

[10] Pittsburgh beat Denver 34-17 and Seattle beat Carolina 34-14.  Do not bring up the ensuing Super Bowl to a Seattle fan.