My goodness…what a weekend of NFL divisional playoff games. I had to decompress for twenty-four hours before getting back on my blog.
All four games were stellar. Some might even say if you combined the first three games they were an iconic montage of what every NFL fan aspires the divisional round should be.
All three visiting teams won on the road. All three games came down to a winning field goal in regulation as time expired.
Joe Burrow, Jimmy G, and Matthew Stafford were the three winning quarterbacks.
Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Ryan Tannehill were the three losing quarterbacks.
It was in a historic sense a changing of the guard of the NFL quarterback hierarchy.
What we saw in these games was the future of the NFL in Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes. I wonder if Caleb Williams and his father took notice nary a Lincoln Riley quarterback was even remotely relevant in these NFL playoffs.
Not one.
I wonder if Joe C could put some of his oil and gas boosters together and offer Josh Allen enough to make him consider coming to OU thru the transfer portal. You gotta figure if Putin invades Ukraine…there’s going to be some sick Texas oil and gas money available for the first ever NFL back to college transfer portal move. Fictional Big Ed Bookman from Semi Tough in Fort Worth wouldn’t blink. Why not from the Buffalo Bills to OU?
Josh Allen > Caleb Williams…not even close.
Lincoln Riley at his best in Body Heat couldn’t pull that one off. These are the kind of thoughts which keep me awake at nights.
But in Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen what was we saw was the bright burning light of what the AFC Championship Games are going to be about for the next decade or so.
Sheer brilliance is the way I would describe it.
I simply couldn’t take my eyes off of Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Combined they completed 61 of 80 throws. Not one interception between them. Every clutch play needed to be made was made.
But here’s the thing which eats at me on late Monday night…the best quarterback didn’t win this weekend…and that would be Josh Allen.
I thought he was brilliant.
Unfortunately–he was shackled by his coach, Sean McDermott’s, decision to kick the ball thru the endzone with thirteen seconds left and to not run the game clock down six or seven seconds.
Tyreek ‘The Cheetah’ Hill only returns punts…not kickoffs. Don’t think I wasn’t thinking about Bob Stoops’ fatal decision to re-punt to Cheetah…but Tyreek only returns punts for Andy Reid, not kickoffs.
Tony Romo called it as it was happening in live time. You have to burn half of those thirteen seconds in that circumstance. Time and score…. time and score. Those two words Russell Westbrook could never learn from Maurice Cheeks.
I know…that’s hindsight to a certain degree. But I wanted to make sure at least on my blog that Josh Allen was recognized as the best quarterback I saw playing this past weekend in the NFL divisional round.
Now we get Joe Burrow vs. Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead.
I can’t wait.
But Josh Allen should still be playing.