JIM LANG’S 10 NFL THINGS: CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS REFLECTION
Hi there. Championship Sunday is a special day for football fans all over the world. This past Sunday was no different. With that being said, it is time to take a look back at what happened this weekend.
1 – Joe Burrow – Get used to seeing Joe Burrow in the AFC Championship game, because we will be seeing a lot more of it over the next few years. A year ago, Burrow was laid up, recovering from knee surgery. After Sunday’s performance against the Chiefs, Burrow has now vaulted himself into the conversation as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. A 21-3 deficit on the road in Kansas City is not the kind of scenario most quarterbacks would be able to overcome. Burrow isn’t most quarterbacks. The guy is special and with every win and every playoff game, his legend inside and outside of the Bengals locker room keeps on growing. Being a top quarterback is more than just putting up numbers. No matter how many times he gets sacked or how much pressure he is under, Burrow calmly goes about his business and consistently puts the Bengals in a position to win games. When you draft a quarterback with the first pick of the draft, you expect him to be great. But even the Bengals have to be pleasantly surprised just how good Burrow has become in such a short time. I did the math, over his last 6 starts, including the post-season, Burrow has been sacked 22 times. Despite that, he is 6-0 with 13 touchdown passes and only 2 interceptions. Burrow is one of the most mentally strong and resilient young quarterbacks I have ever seen.
2 – Zac Taylor – We hear so much talk about the crop of great young coaches in the NFL. They should include Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor on that list. Taylor and his coaching staff did a magnificent job of making adjustments at halftime and took over the game from the start of the 3rd quarter. Taylor and the Bengals beat the number 1 seed on the road and then the number 2 seed on the road to win the AFC Championship. Take a bow Zac Taylor, you bloody well deserve it. I also love the fact that Taylor hands out game balls to bars and pubs throughout Cincinnati.
3 – The Chiefs – There is no excuse for the way that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs played in the second half. This is a loss that will hurt for a long time. In the 2nd half, the Chiefs offensive possessions resulted in the following: punt, punt, interception, punt, punt, field goal and then an interception. Yes, I give some credit to the adjustments made by the Bengals defense. But for a team with all of the offensive weapons on the Chiefs, I am stunned how poorly Mahomes played in the second half. After going 18 of 21 for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first half, Mahomes went 8 for 18 for 55 yards, zero touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the 2nd half! This wasn’t all on Mahomes, Andy Reid deserves all the heat he is taking as well. A lot is being made of the botched play at the end of the first half. That was bad but had Mahomes and the Chiefs even put together one decent drive in the 2nd half, it wouldn’t have even mattered.
4 – Matt Stafford – Much like Joe Burrow, Matt Stafford is a former number one draft pick overall. In the last three weeks, Stafford has led the Rams to playoff wins over the Cardinals, the Buccaneers, and the 49ers. Along the way, Stafford has slayed the playoff dragons that have plagued him since he was drafted by the Lions in 2009. All those who said that Stafford can’t win big games and he isn’t a quarterback who could lead a team to the Super Bowl are eating crow. This is a wild stat, if you include the playoffs, Stafford has 5 wins this year against teams with 10 wins or more.
5 – Aaron Donald – We all know that Aaron Donald is a monster. He is also an expert motivator. The cameras picked up the scene as an emotional Donald got his defensive teammates fired up for the 4thquarter. Donald backed up his talk with his play as the Rams D suffocated Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers at the end of the 4th quarter. In their final three drives the 49ers went 6 plays for 36 yards, 3 plays for minus 5 yards and then 3 plays for minus 3 yards. Donald and the Rams defence did a masterful job of shutting down the 49ers and getting the ball back in the hands of Matt Stafford and the offence.
6 – 49ers tough – Anytime a team has a lead in a playoff game and end up losing, they are going to be criticized. While the 49ers deserve the heat, they also deserve some praise. This is a tough, physical team that will be heard from again. From Deebo Samuel to Nick Bosa to the coaching staff, the 49ers are a force. Which leads me to believe that John Lynch and 49ers management will be doing a lot of soul-searching in the off-season about their quarterback situation. One thing is for certain, when you play the 49ers, you better be ready to take a beating.
7 – Amazing – When it comes to amazing performances in the post-season, look no further than Bengals kicker Evan McPherson. This rookie just doesn’t miss! He is a perfect 12-for-12 in the playoffs. He has become a folk hero in Cincinnati and for good reason. Shooter!! Equally amazing yesterday was the performance of Rams receiver Odell Beckham Junior. Beckham Junior caught 9 passes for 113 yards and prevented the 49ers defence from double-teaming Cooper Kupp on every play. He may not have been welcome with the Giants and the Browns, but OBJ is more than welcome in the Rams House of LA. Amazing also describes how 49ers defensive back Jaquiski Tartt dropped a sure interception late in the game. It was one of those plays that defies explanation how he dropped it.
8 – SB 56 Part 1– The Rams will represent the NFC at Super Bowl 56. The Rams don’t have a first-round draft pick until 2024 and they don’t care. They went all in and made all the moves they felt they needed to get into the Super Bowl, and it worked. They also go into the game with their not-so-secret weapon, receiver Cooper Kupp. In the past two weeks, facing teams where their entire game plan was to shut him down, Kupp has 25 catches for 325 yards and 3 touchdowns! Rams Head Coach Sean McVay is still only 36 years-old, and this is the second time he has coached the Rams into the Super Bowl. Only this time, he isn’t working with Jared Giff, he has Matt Stafford leading his offence.
9 – SB 56 Part 2 – Facing the Rams will be the surprise team in the AFC, the Bengals. A lot of bad teams around the NFL are pointing at the Bengals and saying, ‘hey, if they can do it, so could we!’ No so fast. Not every team has a duo like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Not every team has a talented and confident coach like Zac Taylor. And not every team has a no-name defence filled with the likes of Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, Vonn Bell, and Eli Apple. Yes, the Bengals have accomplished a remarkable turnaround from the team that won a combined 12 games in the 2018, 2019 and 2020 season. But this started the moment they hired Zac Taylor and then the rebuild went into warp speed when they drafted Burrow. One thing is for certain, after this playoff run, the Bengals are Burrow’s team.
10 – Final Thoughts – With the current crop of young and talented and up-and-coming quarterbacks in the league, the immediate future of the NFL is in good hands. Over the next decade, we will be seeing playoff games featuring Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Mac Jones and many more. We also might see veterans like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson playing for different teams next year.
I will talk to you next with a preview of Super Bowl 56 and a look back at my personal Super Bowl memories.
(Jim Lang is Canada’s foremost expert on the NFL. Follow him on Twitter at @JimLangSports)
