Jan 3112 min read

Playoffs: Final Chapter

Championship round battlegrounds gave off major thrills as two teams punched their tickets to Las Vegas, while two teams fought hard just to watch their dreams die and the opposing colors to drop confetti. LVIII is set. Chiefs will defend their crown in a Super Bowl rematch from LIV against the 49ers. The final chapter is upon us. With how the last chapter went; expect it to be quite the finale in Vegas.

The championship games delivered the goods. Not perfect across eight quarters, but we witnessed top notch coaching chess matches, an epic comeback, and star-studded highlight performers and plays. I'm talkin' star-studded! With all the positives; obviously we are left with some negatives. From pure heartbreak and sadness in Detroit, to gutted feels in Baltimore. The highs and lows. Heartbreak on one side. Galore and valor on the other side. The dark twisted beauty of sports.

Ravens Nation hit the parking lot late Sunday afternoon in pure silence as they felt gutted and speechless after witnessing their beloved Ravens face failure. They were oh-so-close, the Ravens were. The confidence was there. The atmosphere had the noise meter filled. Action Jackson could feel the narratives ending. John Harbaugh had his former boss right in the crosshairs. Ravens could smell the big one... and then Patrick Mahomes happened. Travis Kelce happened. "Big Red" Andy Reid and Spagz happened. John Harbaugh felt his master's sword as Big Red struck his dagger into John's core to end Harbaugh's dreams of a second ring... and the Ravens' season.

Mahomes and Reid have done it again. What a damn duo. After playing in their sixth consecutive AFC Championship game together, the duo advances to play in their fourth Super Bowl in five years. Mahomes was special again. The shine he delivers on a playoff gridiron is just unreal and a pure joy to experience. No matter where the gridiron is, or what the storyline is- Mahomes delivers on the grandest stage. He just gets better and better. In the past two postseasons, Mahomes is 6-0 with 1,422 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, and ZERO interceptions. Patty is an overall 14-3 in the playoffs. The exact record that Mr. GOAT Tom Brady had after his first 17 career playoff starts. In the exact amount of postseason appearances (6). Now, Mahomes looks for his third ring to make his championship total in that span mirror Brady as well, who had three Super Bowl dubs after his first 6 playoff appearances. Mahomes' ability to step up and alter the result of games in the biggest moments, with the biggest audiences, is purely remarkable. In his 17 playoff starts, a full season, Mahomes has a staggering 67.4% completion percentage, 4,802 yards, 39 tuddys, and just 7 interceptions with a .23 EPA/dropback rate. Against the best teams, in the grandest of moments on this stage. So special. He really is, and so is his future Hall of Fame tight-end Travis Kelce, who is on a GOAT chase of his own. Quite a case he is building, huh?

Travis Kelce had another stellar playoff performance against the top rated defense and an All-Pro that was slated to shut him down in Kyle Hamilton. I too thought Hamilton was going to... not necessarily shut Kelce down, but tame him to limit the crucial damages. Hamilton was unsuccessful as he was sent to school by the man who has owned this moment for the past half-decade. Kelce had 11 receptions for 116 yards and a tuddy in the dub. His 6 first-downs helped push the Chiefs in control and execution. Kelce continued his playoff prowess as he surpassed Jerry Rice for the most receptions in NFL playoff history. Kelce needs just three more touchdowns to break Rice's playoff receiving touchdown mark. Kelce and Mahomes have a knack for altering games this time of the season. Games that turn into dubs; which then turn into championship galore. Pure star power. Just look at this effort by both cats to extend a crucial scoring drive:

video via NFL//X

Mahomes and Kelce may have been special on the offensive, but the game ball goes to Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs defense. In Spagz they trust. A line that couldn't be more true. Reid and the offense orchestrated their game-plan around their faith in Spagnuolo and he came through. The Chiefs defense was the game changer in this one. Spagz brought Ravens' OC Todd Monken to SCHOOL. So much in fact; I expect the brotha to remain an OC moving forward and rightfully so. Monken was unable to adjust to the Chiefs defense, their attack, and Spagnuolo's game-plan/relentless antics. Monken went away from what worked all season (the run), and allowed Mahomes to take a two-score halftime lead that forced Lamar Jackson to play from behind the entire second half. Spagz kept reeking havoc on the blitz button and the Chiefs defense ate.

The Ravens' defense kept them in the game, time and time again, but Lamar and Monken couldn't come through. Jackson playing from behind was their doom. The lackluster first half game-plan cost Monken. It forced Jackson to rush into decisions in the second half. Something that separates him from Mahomes in the playoffs. Decisions like throwing into triple coverage in the endzone to kill a drive and hopes. Spagnuolo and Reid were just better than Monken and Harbaugh. Mastered them. Out classed 'em. So much to the point, that it broke the Ravens' strongly built barrier. A team with the nature of discipline, folded under defeat as four personal fouls killed their hopes to no recover in the 4th quarter. The personal fouls AND miscues of course. No miscue was greater than Zay Flower's devastating goal-line fumble. Not much a miscue, to be frank, but more of a highlight play by L'Jarius Sneed. By highlight, I mean one of the most clutch and stellar defensive plays we will ever see:

video via Kansas City Chiefs//X

That play flipped the game on its axis. Altered to it's fullest definition. That play there by Sneed- won the game for the Chiefs. All considering. When you google "Clutch", that Tillm... excuse me, that SNEED Punch, will be the first result that you see. The rest came down to Reid. Everyone raves about Ravens' defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, and rightfully so, the cat can coach, but Big Red schooled him on the game winning play. Reid also schooled his former employee Harbaugh. A play masterfully drawn up as he reeled Harbaugh and Macdonald in for his final catch. On a deep 3rd down, Ravens put all their eggs in one basket and Reid burned 'em. Trey wide-receiver look with Kelce stationed alone on the top, Ravens brought Hamilton up out of deep coverage and used a cover linebacker to eliminate Kelce. All for nots as Kelce was a PURE decoy. Pure bait. Ravens played the corners man-to-man with the safeties/cover LBs designated to contain the deep middle/sticks... checkmate. MVS burned backup nickel Arthur Maulet with no safety help and Mahomes placed it right in the basket for the ice to complete its form. Checkout the play design by Reid:

video via NFL//X

Brutal loss for the Ravens. Hopefully it won't be their final crack under the Harbaugh regime. They have some big time producers hittin' impending free agency that I believe they need to bring back in the likes of Patrick Queen, Justin Madubuike, Geno Stone, and Kevin Zeitler. They also will need to find a new defensive coordinator as Mike Macdonald has just fille the Seahawks head coaching vacancy. Ravens have a pivotal off-season ahead to limit major changes to the defense and cash in on gettin' more talent around Lamar Jackson with an open window. Gus Edwards, Nelson Agholor, and Odell Beckham Jr. are upcoming free agents on the offensive side. Not only would they need to fill those holes, but they already go into the off-season knowing they need to add more talent with those names already being in the picture (playoff loss). Big off-season ahead in Baltimore. Goodluck Eric DeCosta. Can't settle; gotta revamp and bolster.

Heartbreak and agony on one side, joy and relief on the other side. What an experience the NFC Championship game was. An utter rollercoaster of emotions for both sides of the equation. Detroit fans were ridin' such a high going into the second quarter and halftime. Jameson Williams exploded for a quick house-call that ignited the Lions' confidence in the first quarter. Detroit roared and dominated the 49ers for the remainder of the half. In shocking fashion, the Lions marched into the intermission with a 24-7 lead. When I say high, I mean cloud nine for the fans. The packed to the brim Ford Field was ROCKING. You gotta checkout the Detroit faithful coming together to root for the Lions playin' 2,400 miles west:

video via Coy Wire//X

Lions Nation could SMELL the Lions' first Super Bowl appearance ever. While inside Levis Stadium, you could hear a pin drop... outside of the traveling Lions fans of course. 24-7. Everything is clicking for Detroit. Kyle Shanahan and co. could muster no answers. Complete derail and frustration on one side; pure excitement and adrenaline on the flip side. Well, that's what we thought. In reality, the score and energy was quite deceiving. Like when the coaster you are seated in enters a dark, lightless tunnel, that brings you out to a steep drop waiting in the distance. That reality was facing the Lions. Not the same reality for San Fran. The 49ers' coaster would eventually come out of the darkness with sun and positive vibes waiting in the distance. Lions may have deceived us, but if you were on the 49ers sideline- you would have seen the flip of the script comin' from a mile away. George Kittle knew. Kittle wasn't rattled. He knew it just had to be part of their story. Get to that momentarily. Unlike Kittle, the Lions were unaware on how their story would end, and one action of over-confidence by C.J. Gardner-Johnson is what set off the rollercoaster:

video vis TSV_1

Not sure what Kyle Shanahan... or George Kittle said inside the locker-room at halftime, but whatever it was- it worked to full execution. 49ers became the first team ever to erase a 17-point deficit in a Conference Championship as they unleashed for 17 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter. Late in the third is when the tides changed. Everything the Lions were doing; they were doing bad. The 'Niners capitalized on the Lions derail after each miscue. This epic Brandon Aiyuk deflection grab was the tidal wave that changed the game:

video via NFL//X

49ers defense got ignited from the Aiyuk touchdown (scored two plays later), and took advantage of another fatal Lions miscue when Jahmyr Gibbs hit the wrong side of Goff to cause poor transitioning from the handoff that Tashaun Gipson stripped. Purdy and the offense went down and scored in four plays after the fumble, to tie the game. Lions could feel the doom. Crucial mishaps after crucial mishaps. They pulled a Plaxico Burress and that's the bottom line. Despite the Lions' mishaps, Purdy is owed some solid creds for his gutsy performance.

Am I an avid Purdy supporter? No, I am not. However, I will show him some love on his play in the second half. My gripe regarding Purdy was my belief that he was a QB that would shatter under immense pressure. He sure didn't do that in the Championship game, did he? Purdy made some stellar plays, especially with his legs and in a collapsed pocket. I'm talkin' big-time; stellar plays. He missed some passes, but connected on a few big ones with slim windows. Purdy has a top notch understanding of the field and does well in reading defenses. His ability to break sacks and extend plays with his legs was a big factor in the comeback win. A HUGE factor. This play to move the chains is a prime example of what the cat had goin' on:

video via NFL//X

The comeback doesn't happen without Purdy. That speaks volumes. He silenced some of my criticism, that's forsho. The comeback also doesn't happen without the Lions falling apart, and anyone blaming Dan Campbell's aggressive approach for the loss can go kick rocks. Going for it on 4th down or bypassing on kicking field-goals is not why the Lions blew this game. Josh Reynolds had two crucial drops, Gibbs had the brutal fumble, and the Lions' struggled to tackle. The only thing I didn't like from Dan Campbell was the final drive. It was awfully bad management and clock/timeout management. Awful I say.

You need to trust your defense over an onside-kick. Down 10 points, once you reach the 30-25 yard-line; you kick a field goal to save all three timeouts to rely on your defense to get the ball back with some decent time left knowing you need 7. This all with 1:35 remaining on the game clock. You have to kick a quick three. The moment I saw them go for six was the moment I knew the game was over. Then sure enough, Campbell is forced to cash a timeout with 45 some seconds left to force all the faith to an uncommon onside-kick. Game. Season over. It was an awful final offensive drive by Campbell to cap off what was an AWFUL second half by his team. A very tough way to end what was a special and remarkable season. That drive delivered the only real head scratchers from me. The other decisions are spoken poorly about because poor execution by the directed players forced the decisions to stand out negatively. If Reynolds holds on to move the chains on that 4th-down, then we would raved about the decision and play design. So with the result being the alternative, don't sit here and point degrade towards Dan Campbell. With all that- the Lions will be back. No doubt in my mind.

Only three players on the Lions team had been that deep into a postseason before. The team will learn and grow from this experience. Heartbroken but defiant. Defeat made them even more hungry. I know this team has the potential to not just return to this moment, but conquer the moment in the future. Ben Johnson will be back as offensive coordinator and now with a team that knows what adjustments they need to make. Detroit will be back no doubt, but this time around- the Niners owned the moment. George Kittle called it:

video via NFL//X

The defending champion Chiefs are now just one win away from being the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions since the Patriots conquered the feat in 2004 (XXXVIII) and 2005 (XXXIX). Andy Reid is lookin' to add to his rich and prestigious resume by winning ring number three. Only four coaches have won three or more Super Bowls... Reid wants to make it five. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce look to build to their prestigious resumes as well. One more thriller; one more foe. A familiar foe. A foe that returns with a mission of revenge with a major new asset to throw onto the playing field. Big Red looks to slay a Shanahan once again. This being his greatest, yet most difficulty chance of them all.

Andy Reid is 7-4 against Mike and Kyle Shanahan. He is 2-0 against Kyle which includes the epic Super Bowl LIV dub that sets up this revenge game. If Andy wants three; then he sure as hell will need to earn it. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers are ready to complete their revenge tour... four years in the making. KC has three X-Factors outside of their obvious power-duo: LB Nick Bolton, RB Isiah Pacheco, and DC Steve Spagnuolo. Spagz is tasked to be the game-changer once again for the Chiefs. Expect him to OP the blitz button to try and rattle Brock Purdy. L'Jarius Sneed and Nick Bolton will play huge parts in trying to slow down, tame, or eliminate George Kittle and Deebo Samuel from causing damage in open field. If the defense plays in Vegas like they did last week, then there is a strong chance that Drake's Back to Back will be the locker-room theme song late on the 11th.

Kyle Shanahan gets another shot to conquer his quest for the Lombardi, but must once again go through his feared adversary Big Red in order to conquer. This time he brings two new weapons into war... his two most dangerous weapons in Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey. 49ers didn't have CMC or big Trent in the first Super Bowl matchup. They elevated from the loss and now have the best chance yet to bring the Lombardi to Santa Clara. Don't worry it would return to San Francisco in a potential parade (I'd hope). Shanahan can't miss out on this opportunity. This is their chance, right?

Definitely a golden opportunity. As golden as you can get. CMC is playin' the best ball of his career behind big Trent, the team is healthy, and the defense is loaded. Now is the chance. Steve Wilks will look for his defense to play like they did in the third quarter against the Lions, but across all 4 quarters in Vegas. The front has to find ways to get to Mahomes and disrupt the game-plan of Reid and Nagy. X-Factors for San Fran' come on both sides of the ball. The d-line as mentioned will sure need to be one. 49ers can't give Mahomes any time or he will shred them. Won't matter the coverage packages; Mahomes will find a way to shred them if he is allowed time in the pocket. Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner will need to be X-Factors as well to stop Pacheco and limit Kelce beyond the trench and in the middle of the field. The final X-Factor is Christian McCaffrey. The man who wasn't in the picture in 2019-20. Chiefs don't have Tyreek Hill, while the 49ers now have CMC. A big difference from the first matchup. The ship moves with CMC. His performance will be as pivotal as anyone's... including Brock Purdy.

49ers will be wearing white; Chiefs in their traditional red and yellow. Teams wearing white in the Super Bowl are 16-3 since 2004. The Chiefs are one of the three when they wore red to beat the Niners in Super Bowl LIV. Is this the year the 49ers snap their 28-year championship drought to tie the Patriots and Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins by a single 'chise (6)? Will they seek their revenge? In due time we find out. I must say, they are in for one difficult task if they wish to answer those two questions with a yes. 49ers. Chiefs. Round two. The Game. RUN IT!

Playoffs: Final Chapter

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