NFL Divisional Playoffs

[Glenn E.]

Arizona over Green Bay was the game I was most confident about... and it was the closest of the day by far! But it won't matter... I don't think they can beat either Seattle or Carolina.

I thought the Patriots looked very good in their win over Kansas City. It went pretty much as I expected with both Gronk and Edelman playing. We'll have to see how Denver and Pittsburgh do tomorrow, but New England now has me worried in the next round.

Time for Seattle and Pittsburgh to step up and get me to 8-for-8!

[Ray Barnes]

Hello Glenn, congrats on your successful predictions. Are you saying Seattle-Carolina is the de facto NFC Championship game?

Due to controversy about the failed initial coin toss, I would suggest, if it should happen again, that the players institute, with the same rules, a referee toss. Depending upon the outcome, this may require having an extra official.

[Roy Hersh]

All the talk is over, it is time to play the game!

[Bradley Bogdan]

Well, this has gotten off to a rocky start for Wilson and Co.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalkz. U

[Ray Barnes]

It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings. She just left catering.

[Roy Hersh]

Lynch added very little. Offensive line as porous as ever, Wilson over-throwing receivers early and often / picked off twice on poorly thrown balls ... and unusual for him ... when about to get sacked outside of the pocket he has a very high % of throwing the ball away out of bounds, which he did not do at all in this game. Also the wasting of precious seconds in the 4th quarter and some really poor play calls by Seattle's coaching staff: NOT going for the FG late in the 2nd quarter the most egregious example. But these are not excuses. Cam and team were far better on game day and relaxed in the 2nd half after building such a mountainous lead in the first half. It was a game of 2 distinctly different halves. Congratulations to the Panthers, for they were the better team on Sunday.

[Moses Botbol]

Panthers excelled on all facets of the game. They are the team to lose the SB at this point.

[Eric Menchen]

From what I saw (which is not every minute of every game, but some of all), NE and Denver both did not look impressive in their games. I did see Carolina in the first half and they looked dominating. Arizona didn't look as strong, but even though their game was close, they looked better than than the AFC contenders. But any given Sunday ...

In the Denver game, can someone explain how the fumbled kick into the end zone was a touchback and not a safety? I know there is a rule about catching the ball and your momentum carrying you into the end zone making for a touchback, but that wasn't quite the case here. Maybe I need to see the actual wording of that rule. Oh, and I thought Ben did fumble that one.

[Ray Barnes]

The home team will win all the Divisional Playoff games.
Nostradoofus

[Eric Menchen]

The home team will win all the Divisional Playoff games.
Nostradoofus

As good a prediction as any. Two doesn't make a pattern, but if it did, we might argue the opposite. Away teams won all the first found games, homes teams won all the second round games, so for the third round ... actually maybe that calls for a split?

[Moses Botbol]

I think the Pats have a good chance at beating the Denver. The line must be pretty tight.

[Glenn E.]

Panthers excelled on all facets of the game. They are the team to lose the SB at this point.

Only in the first half. If you look at the final stats, it looks like Seattle won the game until you see the 2 turnovers. The 2 turnovers led directly to 10 Carolina points, and in addition likely cost Seattle some points. Subtract 10 from Carolina and add even just 3 to Seattle and it's 27-21 Seattle. And that's a score that's reflected by the stats.

Turnovers are killer, and both of these fall squarely on Wilson. Normally he's very good at getting rid of the ball, but both turnovers evoked visions of the Evil Brett Favre when what Seattle needed in the first half was a calm and steady Brady or Manning. He also took several sacks where he had the opportunity to throw the ball away but didn't. Wilson was playing like a panicked rookie in the first half, not the rock-steady Super Bowl champion he can also be. The O-line was not entirely to blame, either. The coaching staff knows the line's weaknesses, yet insisted on pocket passing plays for most of the first half. That's just bad play calling. Wilson is normally at his best when on the move... so let him move!

Seattle has been a slow-to-start team for the last couple of years. They typically finish well, but in this game the slow start killed them. You can't give up a 31-point lead and expect to recover.

Once Seattle lost I was cheering for Denver. The only reason I wanted Pittsburgh to win was to ultimately see a rematch of Super Bowl 40, but once Seattle was out that was no longer possible. Even so, that game was very close as well.

Dropped to 6 for 8 now. I'll think I'll probably take New England and Carolina in the next round, but I'll give it a day or two before deciding.

[Bradley Bogdan]

From what I saw (which is not every minute of every game, but some of all), NE and Denver both did not look impressive in their games. I did see Carolina in the first half and they looked dominating. Arizona didn't look as strong, but even though their game was close, they looked better than than the AFC contenders. But any given Sunday ...

In the Denver game, can someone explain how the fumbled kick into the end zone was a touchback and not a safety? I know there is a rule about catching the ball and your momentum carrying you into the end zone making for a touchback, but that wasn't quite the case here. Maybe I need to see the actual wording of that rule. Oh, and I thought Ben did fumble that one.

First off, the Ben fumble was entirely a fumble, but seemed to fall into the category of "this game is virtually over, we're not going to belabor this" for the refs.

Second, as I came to understand it, a muffed punt is still considered a live kick rather than a fumble, the only thing that changes when it's muffed is that now both teams can attempt to recover now that the receiving team has made contact. So, since Wheaton never had control of the kick, it's still considered a live kick not a fumble, allowing the "momentum carrying you into the endzone for a touchback" bit to come into play.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalkz. U

[Eric Menchen]

First off, the Ben fumble was entirely a fumble, but seemed to fall into the category of "this game is virtually over, we're not going to belabor this" for the refs.

Second, as I came to understand it, a muffed punt is still considered a live kick rather than a fumble, the only thing that changes when it's muffed is that now both teams can attempt to recover now that the receiving team has made contact. So, since Wheaton never had control of the kick, it's still considered a live kick not a fumble, allowing the "momentum carrying you into the endzone for a touchback" bit to come into play.

I tend to concur on your assessment of the Ben fumble. And checking the NFL rules, the kick return being a touchback is based on the "impetus" of the ball. The intended punt returner touched the ball, but apparently didn't change its direction of travel to forward. He might have slowed it down or deflected it some, but he didn't change the impetus.

It is a Touchback if the ball is dead on or behind the goal line a team is defending, provided that the impetus comes from an opponent, and that it is not a touchdown or an incomplete pass.

http://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/2015-nfl-rulebook