NFL “Slots” Almost Set/AFC Update

The NFL “Slots”/Division round is almost set.

It begins around 4:30 Eastern Time in Tennessee, the home of the AFC “1” seed Titans, as they are 3 plus point(s) favorites vs the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincy broke an 8 game playoffs loss skein (-6) (26-19) (the total, spread and as it turned out, the game decided when the Bengals kept the Raiders from a TD score at the conclusion, of an otherwise boring (4 FG’s by each team–George Blanda or Horst Muhlmann anyone?) game. Their most recent ‘offs win before last Saturday, was vs the Titans nee Oilers, when they were the Oilers, that in the first year of 2 wild card games per conference (now they “whore” 3 each), in 1990.

The Titans are (0-2) in home slots games as the AFC “1” seed, both losses to the Baltimore Ravens. In 2000, the Ravens went on to win it all, while in ’08, after winning at “1” seed Tennessee in the same Slot 1 in which Cincy/Tenn will play on Saturday, the Steelers in route to their 6th and to this point, last Supe crown, won at home vs “Balti” in the AFC Title Game.

A redux of last year’s (also of the ’66 AFL Title Game with a bid to the first Supe on the line) AFC Title game has manifested in the Slot 4/late Sunday, Jim Nantz (he is better than the others and has been very good, certainly relative to the others, as of late, and admittedly, for the most part, throughout his career) Buffalo (Bills) at K.C. (Chiefs) “div” round game.

Each team’s quarterback, the Chiefs Patrick Mahomes and the Bills’ Josh Allen threw 5 TD passes in their team’s wild card round win.

The Bills, incredibly, scored touchdowns on their first 7 possessions, an unprecedented occurrence in NFL annals. In 2 straight wins vs the slipping Belichick coached Patriots, the Bills have won and not punted in the tilt. 

Belichick’s New England is now (9-3) in Saturday night ‘offs tilts, (0-2) on the road (lost at Denver in the ’05 “div” round).

K.C. has opened just under a field goal “fave” vs Buffalo. The Chiefs were victorious in both the ’66 AFL Title Game and the AFC one last year, only to lose the subsequent Supe. Buffalo (0-4) in Supes, “div rounded” K.C. in ’91 and lost that year’s subsequent Supe to Washington.

KC (-13 plus’d) the Steelers (42-21) in two time Supe winner, Ben Roethlisberger’s last tilt. Buffalo ripped New England (47-17) as a 4 plus point “fave.” Cincy (-6) held off the Raiders, as stated above, (26-19).

In the NFC, where tonight it is the “4” seed L.A. Rams just under a 4 point favorite at home, where the 56th Supe will be played on February 13th, as they clash with Arizona.

Yesterday Mr. Brady (cited in yesterday’s post) and his one time backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, each QB’d in victories by the T.B. Buccaneers (-9 to -7 and (31-15) vs Philly’s Eagles) and S.F. 49ers (plus 3 to 3 plus, (23-17) vs Dallas, as the Cowboys lost on the exact 50th anniversary of their first Supe win on Sunday January 16, 1972. Alas, not as much as a slots/div round win for the Cowboys, since winning Supe #5 in ’95) respectively.

Thus S.F. sojourns to Green Bay for a Saturday night, freezing cold/”Joe “Bucky Boo” Buck tilt (think there is any consideration for the fans on the part of the NFL?!!–Think again!!) with “1” seed Green Bay, bidding for a third straight NFC Title Game appearance, opening as about a 5 plus point(s) favorite.

In the earlier, albeit 3 or so Eastern Time start, “Alfalfa” Michaels, in his very likely, if not certain, penultimate NBC tilt, will be in Tampa Bay, who would be say (-4) or so vs the Rams and a bit higher if Arizona (they should not be allowed to win on Martin Luther King Day or night–look it up, but alas look at no voting right’s Georgia’s incredible sports year, manifesting in second Braves and Bulldogs’ crowns) prevails tonight.

The 3 winning quarterbacks yesterday, Mr. Brady (28-8), so called “Jimmy G.” (3-0) and the oh so gifted, Patrick Mahomes (6-1) are a combined (37-9) in “within the conference” ‘offs games.

Brady is at 7 of 9/.778 win percentage “within,” and a certainly not shabby (7-3) .700 win percentage in Supes. Mahomes is (1-1) in Super Bowls, while Garoppolo lost vs Mahomes and Mr. Damien Williams’ great game, in his lone Super Bowl.

 

Damien Williams, pictured above, no longer with the Chiefs, (maybe it will be the Bills winning Sunday night), led the Chiefs in their Supe 54 win, some 50 years after their lone other such victory.