NFL 2019 Wild Card Recap

Hello readers! Eight teams entered into Wild Card weekend and four escaped to move on to next weekend's Divisonal playoff game. The post will have an NFL 100 spotlight on the 1974 Divisional playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders, also known as "The Sea Of Hands," as well as a recap of the Wild Card games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

Very few playoff games in NFL history had hype. Such hype came as surprise to some, while such games had so much hype that they would be called "Super Bowl 8 1/2." One such game would would be forever be called "The Sea Of Hands." The Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins would meet in one of the greatest games in NFL history.

The two teams had known each other very well. In 1973, the Raiders won the regular season meeting 12-7, snapping Miami's 18-game winning streak dating back to the beginning of the 1972 season. The two teams would meet again for the AFC Championship game. The Dolphins would exact revenge on the Silver & Black, beating them 27-10 in a dominating effort. The Dolphins would win the Super Bowl that year.

The next year, the two teams wouldn't meet in the regular season but the two would meet in the AFC Divisional round. There was much hype to the game as the media felt that the two teams were the best in the AFC. The game would be dubbed "Super Bowl 8 1/2" since the winner of the game would likely win the Super Bowl that year. Should be noted that the Pittsburgh Steelers would face off against the Buffalo Bills that weekend as well.

While I won't discuss the game in detail, it should be noted that this game had six lead changes with one tie. The game ultimately came down to an 8-yard pass from Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler to Clarence Davis that would ultimately give the Raiders the lead and would be the game winning score. Stabler was falling down when he threw the ball to Davis. Clarence Davis had many Dolphins players near him with their hands eyeing for the ball, hence the name "Sea Of Hands."

In the end, the Raiders ended the Dolphins their two-year run as champions. Miami wouldn't reach the playoffs again until the 1978 season. They would lose Larry Czonka and Jim Kiick to the riches of the World Football League. They wouldn't make it back to the Super Bowl until the 1982 season.

For the Raiders, they would move on to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. It would be ultimately John Madden's praise for the Dolphins and Raiders that would cost them a chance to win. An inspired Steelers team would come into Oakland and beat the Raiders and would kick off their dynasty of the 1970s.

Wild Card Recap

Buffalo Bills 19, Houston Texans 22 (F/OT): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

Buffalo will have to wait for another year to get that first playoff win since 1995. Josh Allen threw for 264 yards with zero touchdowns. John Brown would complete a 16-yard pass to Josh Allen for a touchdown. Josh Allen would be the leading rusher as he gained 92 yards for the game. DeShaun Watson would earn his first playoff victory while throwing for 247 yards with a touchdown. Watson would be the leading rusher for the Texans with 55 yards with a touchdown. To be honest, both teams really didn't deserve to win but sadly someone has to end up winning. Houston will go on to play the Chiefs on Sunday.

All-time series: Texans lead 6-4

Tennessee Titans 20, New England 13: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Titans played better than the Patriots. There I said it. Ryan Tannehill finished the game with 72 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Derrick Henry finished the game with 182 yards with a touchdown. Former Patriot, Logan Ryan, would give the Titans the win off an interception from Tom Brady for a 9-yard return. Tom Brady would throw for 209 yards while throwing said interception. Sony Michel was the leading rusher for the Patriots as he gained 61 yards. Julian Edelman would get 12 yards rushing while scoring a rushing touchdown. As far as Tom Brady's future is concerned, I feel he'll come back, but I don't know if he can get another ring as the Patriots wide receiving corp outside of Edelman is not that great. The Mohammad Sanu Jr trade was somewhat of a dud. Hard to say. Titans move on to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

All-time series: Patriots lead 25-18-1

Minnesota Vikings 26, New Orleans Saints 20 (F/OT): TW: Saints; CV: Vikings

It was a surprise to some but not necessarily to me. Kirk Cousins threw the ball for 242 yards with a touchdown. That touchdown would ultimately be the game-winning score to Kyle Rudolph in overtime. Dalvin Cook returned to start and had a good game with 94 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Drew Brees threw for 208 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Taysom Hill was the leading rusher for the Saints with 50 yards while Alvin Kamara ran for 21 yards with a touchdown in the game. Hard to say if this is the last chance for the Saints to get another ring but certainly you have to not try to play against the Vikings it seems. Minnesota moves on to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.

All-time series: Vikings lead 23-12

Seattle Seahawks 17, Philadelphia Eagles 9: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

In his 16 seasons as pro, Josh McCown had not played in a playoff game, he would sadly not get the job done. Russell Wilson threw well in the game with 325 yards with a touchdown. He would also be the leading rusher for the Seahawks with 45 yards. Carson Wentz made his first playoff start in his career. He would ultimately leave the game with a concussion/head injury, with only 3 yards passing. Hardy veteran Josh McCown would take his place and put up 174 yards in the game. Miles Sanders ran the ball for 69 yards in the game. Sadly, Nick Foles couldn't quite save them this time. Seattle goes to Green Bay on Sunday.

All-time series: Seahawks lead 11-7

See you guys on Thursday/Friday for the Divisional picks!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Wild Card Picks

Hello readers! The Wild Card Weekend starts on Saturday. Gone are the pretenders and here come the contenders. This post will have a recap of my predictions that I made back in September and how I fared (which I know isn't looking too well), an NFL 100 Spotlight on the broadcaster Pat Summerall, and my picks for the Wild Card games this weekend. Let's get to work!

Preseason Recap

Before the season started, I made a predictions post on how each team will fare. I also predicted the division winners and who would eventually win the Super Bowl, as well as award winners. I will leave the award winners until probably after the Super Bowl but I'd say most of them are way off (Baker Mayfield for MVP was a bit off I'd say). Here's how I did:

Arizona Cardinals: 4th in NFC West (Correct)
Atlanta Falcons: 3rd in NFC South (Incorrect, they did tie with Tampa though)
Baltimore Ravens: 3rd in AFC North (Incorrect, probably thought Lamar Jackson would have sophomore jinx I guess)
Buffalo Bills: 3rd in AFC East (Incorrect)
Carolina Panthers: 2nd in NFC South (Incorrect)
Chicago Bears: 2nd in NFC North (Incorrect)
Cincinnati Bengals: 4th in AFC North (Correct)
Cleveland Browns: 2nd in AFC North (Incorrect)
Dallas Cowboys: 1st in NFC East (Incorrect, close but no cigarette)
Denver Broncos: 4th in AFC West (Incorrect)
Detroit Lions: 4th in NFC North (Correct)
Green Bay Packers: 3rd in NFC North (Incorrect, ouch my own team)
Houston Texans: 2nd in AFC South (Incorrect)
Indianapolis Colts: 1st in AFC South (Incorrect)
Jacksonville Jaguars: 3rd in AFC South (Incorrect)
Kansas City Chiefs: 1st in AFC West (Correct)
Los Angeles Chargers: 2nd AFC West (Incorrect)
Los Angeles Rams: 1st in NFC West (Incorrect)
Miami Dolphins: 4th in AFC East (Correct)
Minnesota Vikings: 1st in NFC North (Incorrect)
New England Patriots: 1st in AFC East (Correct)
New Orleans Saints: 1st in NFC South (Correct)
New York Giants: 3rd in NFC East (Correct)
New York Jets: 2nd in AFC East (Correct)
Oakland Raiders: 3rd in AFC West (Correct)
Philadelphia Eagles: 2nd in NFC East (Incorrect)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 1st in AFC North (Incorrect)
San Francisco 49ers: 2nd in NFC West (Incorrect)
Seattle Seahawks: 3rd in NFC West (Incorrect)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4th in NFC South (Incorrect)
Tennessee Titans: 4th in AFC South (Incorrect, maybe I was drinking too much of the Mariota kool-aid)
Washington Redskins: 4th in NFC East (Correct)

Well out of the 32 teams, I got 10 right in predictions. Almost a 1/3 of them.

Playoff seedings

NFC:
1st: New Orleans Saints
2nd: Dallas Cowboys
3rd: Los Angeles Rams
4th: Minnesota Vikings
5th: Chicago Bears
6th: Carolina Panthers

Well as far as seeding, I missed all of them but I managed to get the Saints and the Vikings in the playoffs.

AFC:
1st: Kansas City Chiefs
2nd: New England Patriots
3rd: Pittsburgh Steelers
4th: Indianapolis Colts
5th: Los Angeles Chargers
6th: Cleveland Browns

Same thing for the AFC for seeding but I got only the Chiefs and Patriots right in making the playoffs. Should be noted that I still have the prediction of a Saints vs Patriots Super Bowl in play. I feel good about it.

NFL 100: A Spotlight

If you were born between 1960 and 1995 and watched an NFL game, you more than likely heard the voice of Pat Summerall. From playing football at an early age to his final call at Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002 his life was football.

Summerall was born in Lake City, Florida on May 10th, 1930. He would play at Columbia High School as a placekicker. As well as football, Summerall played tennis, baseball, and basketball. He would go to college at the University of Arkansas from 1949 to 1951 and played as a placekicker, defensive end and tight end for the Razorbacks.

In the 1952 NFL Draft, Summerall was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 4th Round, with the 45th pick. He would only play for the Lions in the preseason before getting an arm injury. He was traded to the Chicago Cardinals from 1953 to 1957. He would then play some of his well-known football with the New York Giants from 1958 to 1961. He would play in "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in the 1958 NFL Championship Game. In 1959 he was 30/30 in Point After Touchdowns and 20/29 in field goals.

Summerall retired after the 1961 season and would be hired by CBS to work as a color commentator for the network's NFL package. During the early years of his job, he was paired with Chris Schenkel to do Giants games (CBS had their own crews designated to a specific team). He was there for CBS postgame coverage for Super Bowl I. After 1968, he rose to be part of CBS #1 crew, pairing with either Ray Scott and Jack Buck.

After Ray Scott's retirement after Super Bowl VIII, Summerall would take over as the Play-by-Play commentator and would be paired with Tom Brookshier. Brookshier would work with Summerall with during the "This Week In Pro Football" during the late 1960's through the 1970's.

Pat Summerall's most famous broadcast partner would be John Madden. Madden was hired by CBS in 1981. The pairing would call five Super Bowls for CBS. The pairing worked well as both knew football and could explain it well to the average viewer. Summerall's minimalist approach and Madden's coaching knowledge made them one of the best partnerships in Sports TV history.

When FOX won the NFC package in 1994, the fledgling network recruited both Summerall and Madden to front their production. The pair would call three more Super Bowl's for FOX before retiring from broadcasting after Super Bowl XXXVI. Joe Buck would take over as FOX's NFL #1 play-by-play commentator, paired with Troy Aikman with Cris Collinsworth.

As well as calling football games for CBS, Summerall would call CBS coverage of the U.S. Open and the Masters. He brought with him his velvety voice and minimilistic approach to those assignments as well. His best work was truly with the National Football League. His voice was nearly recognizable. If he was covering a game, you knew the game held something important.

Pat Summerall would pass away on April 16th, 2013 due to a cardiac arrest. The Sports World mourned as he was truly "a great loss." He was 82 years old.

Wild Card Picks

Wild Card weekend will start in Houston, Texas and end in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There will be two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday. ESPN and CBS will air the Saturday games while FOX and NBC will air the Sunday games. Here are the picks:

Buffalo Bills (10-6) @ Houston Texans (10-6) (ESPN/ABC): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Bills are entering as the 5th seed in the playoffs while the Texans are the AFC South winners as the 4th seed. Wild Card weekend isn't too kind for the Texans these last few years and if they don't win this game, head coach Bill O'Brien's future definitely is in jeopardy. I'm leaning towards the Bills because of their defense. If they can throw the Texans offense off a bit, they have a distinct advantage. Turnovers will be key to victory for Buffalo as they have a versatile running game with a quarterback to match. While Josh Allen's weapons aren't nearly as superb as DeShaun Watson's, clock management will be also huge too. The Texans are a 2.5 favorite which doesn't bode well for Vegas' confidence in the group. I can't trust the Texans to get a win. I have been wrong before with the Texans.

Tennessee Titans (9-7) @ New England Patriots (12-4) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Titans enter in the playoffs as the 6th seed and the Patriots won the AFC East along with the 3rd seed in the playoffs. One of the better match-ups in the weekend. Tennessee has shown that they can win with Ryan Tannehill as quarterback along with a great running back Derrick Henry. The Patriots have won with their strong defense and I feel they can easily make the Titans one-dimensional with them shutting down their running game and forcing Tannehill to beat them. Tom Brady hasn't played particularly well to standards but with the playoffs here, perhaps they can find new energy and win this one. I'd be generally surprise if the Titans win this game. 

Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ New Orleans Saints (13-3) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Vikings

The Vikings are entering the playoffs as the 6th seed while the Saints won the NFC South as the 3rd seed. Minnesota is entering this postseason with a little chip on their shoulder. They have the underdog card as most experts felt that they wouldn't go far. My take is they have a very good defense and if they can get their offense going and cause havoc on the Saints defense. The key to the game is the health of Dalvin Cook and how well the Vikings can depend on running back Mike Boone if Cook is inactive. I like the Saints in the match-up but the Vikings could make this game a very interesting one. 

Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) (NBC): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Seahawks enter the playoffs as the 5th seed and the Eagles won the NFC East as the 4th seed. Keeping Russell Wilson upright will be huge as the Seahawks offensive line allowed 26 sacks in the previous seven games. Philadelphia got to Wilson six times. The Eagles will need Carson Wentz and the secondary to have a good day to have a chance to get a win as well. I feel with Marshawn Lynch on the team, they will have some inspiration to play well. The talent on paper for Seattle is there but momentum is not there for them as they lost two straight games. I feel safer with Philly if they can get to Wilson early and sack him or hit him. They have the blueprint to get him so why not Philly.

I'll see you guys on Monday for the Wild Card recap. I'll probably update the post with Cardinal Viking's picks as well. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

Update #1: added Cardinal Viking's picks

Update #2: Changed Bill Callahan to Bill O'Brien. Got the right first name but wrong head coach. Sorry Bill Callahan if you're reading this.