Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially one week away from the NFL playoffs. A lot of tickets were officially punched this weekend, while some teams are set for a final week 18 showdown to see who qualifies for a wild-card spot. A lot to get into. Let’s get it.
1. Antonio Brown’s career might be over
And honestly, it sucks. Antonio Brown is undoubtedly one of the most talented wideouts to ever play the game and now his whole career is going to be overshadowed by his actions off the field. Brown went six years in a row with over 100 catches, eight receiving touchdowns and 1280 receiving yards. His play on the field would most definitely land him in the Hall of Fame. Sadly we have to see this man go into his downward spiral again. It’s crazy how much can change in a year. Last February AB was catching touchdowns in a Super Bowl and now his career might be over. Even this year in the six games he played he had three 100+ yard games (was almost four, he had 93 yards against the Eagles). Also, I’ve been seeing this narrative circulating on twitter that he flipped out on Bruce Arians because he benched him so he wouldn’t reach his incentives on the year. If that was the case, he could’ve got them next week and if not he could’ve filed a grievance with the NFLPA. You simply can’t leave in the middle of the game. You just hate to see it. Unless you’re Vontae Davis.
2. The Cincinnati Bengals are AFC North Champions
Joe Shiesty activated. Ja’Marr Chase is different. First division championship since 2015. I’m so happy for the Bengals and their fans. Last year after a promising start, Burrow tore his ACL and MCL in his left knee against Washington. This year, he’s been on a tear throwing for over 4,600 yards and 34 touchdowns. Both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are over 1,000 receiving yards, making them the youngest duo ever to eclipse 1K receiving yards. Joe Mixon has over 1200 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns to compliment the passing game perfectly. And with all of that firepower on offense, you also get the 5th best run defense in the league. All I know is that I don’t want to go to Cincinnati in January to play this team.
3. The Philadelphia Eagles are playoff bound
This picture right here is the perfect summary of Jalen Hurts’ tenure so far in Philadelphia. No matter what is thrown at him, he stands tall no matter what. 26 total touchdowns (16 passing & 10 rushing) with only nine interceptions, he’s been efficient in both the run and pass game and clearly it has worked. Credit to first year head coach Nick Sirianni for getting this group together and making this playoff push, never would’ve expected this at the beginning of the year for an Eagles team that went 4-11-1 last year. So happy for Jalen Hurts. All around great guy and is going to be an explosive quarterback in this league for years to come. Now Eagles fans, enough of turning on your players after one bad week. And I swear to God if I see another “Minshew Mania > Hurts” take I’m going to lose my mind. The media has been trying to push that narrative so hard it’s so frustrating.
LOOK AT THIS HEADLINE BY THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. WHAT HAS GARDNER MINSHEW DONE TO GET THIS PRAISE??? HE’S 8-13 AS A STARTER. I’VE HAD ENOUGH. There’s no other reason, this just has to be racism. I genuinely can’t think of another reason why the media would be pushing this narrative so hard. Look up “Minshew should start over Hurts” on google and see how many major publications/networks are pushing this. Insanity. Anyways, congratulations to the Eagles and Jalen Hurts for clinching their spot in the postseason.
4. Kyler Murray remains undefeated in AT&T Stadium
From high school, to college and now the pros Kyler Murray has yet to lose a game in Dallas, Texas. After a slight three-game skid, the Cardinals bounced back on the road against a strong Cowboys team. Both teams have already clinched their playoff berths, but they are playing for a possible home playoff game. Murray had an efficient game, throwing for 263 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. The Cardinals defense forced a crucial Dak Prescott fumble late in the game to help seal the victory. The NFC has already filled six of their seven playoff spots, it’ll be interesting to see who ends up playing who.
5. The NFC will once again go through Lambeau Field
We know one thing about the NFC for sure, the Green Bay Packers clinched the first seed and first-round bye. Aaron Rodgers was clinical again as he threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. The Rodgers and Adams connection is unmatched. Even when everyone on the field knows the ball is going to Davante, they still find a way to make it work.
A better weekend for me. Both Jaylen Brown and the Patriots dropped 50 burgers on Sunday, making my day a lot better than last Sunday. It’s about that time where it’s going to be win or go home. The four teams that are in win or go home scenarios are the Raiders, Chargers (who play each other), Saints and 49ers. The Raiders and Chargers game in Las Vegas has already gotten flexed to Sunday Night Football so that will definitely be some must-see TV. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first article of 2022. Let’s keep it going. This is YSN, until next time, signing out.
