Wednesday Morning QB (Divisional Weekend)
There were plenty of teams heading into the playoffs this year with very little experience as new teams were found on both sides of the league.
Teams not known for being at the top were going to host the entire playoffs even possibly into the Super Bowl.
Other teams were making their runs after a good final season and were looking to shock the world as they tried to find their way through the entire league.
The chances for these teams were not very good though as there were still those strong teams that had been around for years.
Those dominant team came into the playoffs with plenty of experience and great teams making them the clear favourites.
Although experience was far from everything in the playoffs it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the experience in order to understand what is coming.
Teams like New England, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Carolina and Kansa City had all been there before and they were all looking to show that experience can make a difference.
Meanwhile, the teams that were making their appearances for the first time in a long time were trying to shock the world.
They were trying to show that experience doesn’t make the difference as putting the right team together at the right time was far more important.
There were some interesting results during the Wild Card round with Tennessee launching a comeback to beat Kansas City and New Orleans finding away against Carolina.
For the most part, though the teams were able to do what was expected as Atlanta and New Orleans were not surprises.
The divisional round was going to be a real test though as some of the best teams in the league over the last few years were set to keep the old guard at the top.
At least that was the case in the AFC where the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers waited for their tests from young teams.
The Pats were going to take on the Titans who had gotten through their first round with a great comeback.
That game resulted in the very expected result as the Titans were just not good enough and the Patriots walked over them to move into another AFC Championship game.
Most believed that they were going to get their toughest challenge in a long time and bitter rival in a rivalry that has only picked up steam recently.
The Pittsburgh Steelers knew this as they seemed to be looking ahead at getting another shot at the Patriots in a conference championship.
The problem with that was that the Steelers forgot to focus on the Jacksonville Jaguars who showed the Steelers that they were not a team to be overlooked.
They punished them the entire game and despite some brief moments of hope, the Steelers took the loss ending their season unexpectedly.
In the NFC the two members of the old guard were not the ones waiting as they had already passed their first test.
In the divisional round, they had to go into the homes of the new teams and prove that experience mattered.
In Philadelphia, it was a struggle for the Falcons who were only able to put up 10 points while the Eagles earned 15 of their own to take the win.
In Minnesota, the points piled up between the Vikings and the Saints while a last-second touchdown gave the Vikings a win in what is being called the Minneapolis Miracle.
With the second round done only one team with recent experience in the playoffs remains while the inexperienced teams fight for a shot at the Super Bowl.
Minnesota, Philadelphia and Jacksonville have never won a Super Bowl while the Patriots are the defending champions and have a group that has won five of their own titles.
The Jaguars will look to deprive them of a chance to win their sixth title while taking their first trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history.
On the other side will be two teams with plenty of success before the NFL was even around but since the merger, they have yet to be back on top.
Both found their way to the top of the NFC and will now look to earn a spot in the Super Bowl.
In the AFC the favourite seems pretty clear as the Patriots remain the favourite to win it all with their experience and their talent.
The Jaguars surprised everyone by how they beat the Steelers and they might be able to do it again by beating the dynasty of the era.
The NFC is different as some want to see the great season from the Eagles not go to waste and others would prefer to see a team host the Super Bowl while playing the game for the first time ever.
The conference championship will feature plenty of new teams and one dominant team all with a chance to make the trip to Minnesota for Super Bowl LII.
Fifth Quarter
Splitting Up the Gang
Every few years it seems like the people coaching under Bill Belichick become favourites for head coaching jobs and this season is no different. Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniel have been rumoured to be favourites to run their own team for a number of years and this year seems to be their last in Foxborough. Patricia is rumoured to be the next head coach in Detroit while McDaniel is reportedly set to become the next head coach in Indianapolis. Whether the rumours are true or not it seems like they are sure to take over a team somewhere even if it isn’t with the Colts or the Lions.
Big Ben Staying Put
With the season over in devastating fashion, the Pittsburgh Steelers were left with a lot of questions. The biggest was the future of their leader as Ben Roethlisberger has been doing his thing for 14 years leaving a lot of people believing he might be ready to hang it up. With two Super Bowls and a firmly established legend in Pittsburgh, there isn’t a lot left for him to do. Still, Roethlisberger put an end to the rumours quickly stating that he will return for another season in Pittsburgh as he tries to pursue another Super Bowl.
Drama in the Backfield
The Steelers were accused of being distracted this week and it is hard to argue that point after talking about everything but the Jaguars. One of the distractions was their running back Le’Veon Bell who only days before the game revealed that he would not play under the franchise tag again. The star of the backfield said that he would retire or sit out the season rather than play under the franchise tag again in 2018. The Steelers don’t seem to care too much about the threats not wanting to pay him like top backs in the league and reportedly getting ready to franchise tag him again.
The Sport Addiction 