2021 NFL Playoffs - Divisional Round Thread

Liam O · 24-01-2022 11:03am

Very American idea to only give one team a chance to decide a game I guess.

Unsure about havoc to the networks. Big drop off for them as soon as a game ends. Make it only for playoff games too.

Nermal · 24-01-2022 11:27am

Couldn't the decision about who takes possession first in OT be made dependent on the initial coin toss? Then at least you'd know coming up to the end of regular time, and might adjust your strategy. Feels like it would take away some of the unfairness.

eagle eye · 24-01-2022 11:59am

The college football overtime system is way better. Each team gets the ball at the 25 yard line. If they both score the same then it goes to a second overtime where you must attempt a two point conversion if you score a touchdown. If both teams score the same in that period then it goes to two point conversions only, just one play to get it.

That keeps going until one team scores and one team doesn't.

adrian522 · 24-01-2022 12:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524280#Comment_118524280

Do we really want a team that puts up 10 points in a huge playoff game in the superbowl?

eagle eye · 24-01-2022 12:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524688#Comment_118524688

They weren't in a huge playoff game, it was the divisional round.

B2021M · 24-01-2022 12:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524499#Comment_118524499

Or couldn't it be based on some metric from the actual game with the criteria known in advance?

adrian522 · 24-01-2022 12:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524714#Comment_118524714

How is the divisional round not a huge playoff game?

Optimus Caesar · 24-01-2022 12:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118512910#Comment_118512910

Only 2-2 this weekend but I don't care. Rams move on.

8-2 for playoffs.

Itssoeasy · 24-01-2022 1:12pm

Stop me if you’ve heard this one but I stayed up and kept watching past when I said I wasn’t. I got to the sometime in the fourth quarter before I fell asleep. Some bloody game it was and you’d have to feel for the bills. The NFL must be over the moon with how the games went, even if the niners and packers wasn’t as good as the other three.

Weepsie · 24-01-2022 1:41pm

I would be very much a casual fan, don't have a team, tend to root for the underdog or the team I dislike least. Recorded the second game and watch it skipping ads and such. Condense those final few mins and show it to people and they'll all be watching

Morrisseeee · 24-01-2022 2:39pm

WOW what a weekend of games, and they saved the best until last, incredible stuff. An Offensive & in particular a QB masterclass by Mahomes & Allen, I think the Chiefs have just that bit more fire-power with Mahomes\Hill & Kelse.

I think it'll be a Chiefs/Rams SB, & wouldn't be surprised if the Rams came out on top, I think they are a better more complete team, offence & Defence.

Having said that it'll take some effort to beat Mahomes & Co. in their current form.

Kev8360 · 24-01-2022 3:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524674#Comment_118524674

The college system is flawed as well - I have seen OT games go on in college for 10+ possessions until you get a winner and the way the scoring was going last night neither defense was stopping anyone late on.

At the end of a 17 game season to ask Pro Players to go out and do this would be a hard ask. The winner would be in no fit shape to play a game the next week let alone a conference championship against a team who might have an extra days rest.

I don't think there is a better way to decide OT - Its a team game , the Bills Defense had a chance to close out the game with 13 seconds left and didn't take it so you are left to the lottery of the OT coin toss. I feel sorry for them but the same happened to the chiefs and they rebounded to win a super bowl - I hope that we are able to say the same for the Bills next year as they are one of the top teams in the AFC and well built to carry that on.

Weepsie · 24-01-2022 4:14pm

In what is supposed to be a very fair game, what with the way the draft system works and a different winner pretty much every year, it does seem strange they go with a coin toss and if you score that's it.

Try something different. Start at the halfway. Only 3 downs, fewer players on field.

Can't really complain about the outcome, but it would've been a great advert for a fresh approach to overtime the way they were playing.

They've added an extra game to a season, I think if it meant a chance of a superbowl, then a player would say yeah, I'll do it.

Itssoeasy · 24-01-2022 7:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118513746#Comment_118513746

0-4 which isn’t great at all. So 5-5 for the playoffs.

Foxtrol · 24-01-2022 8:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118514070#Comment_118514070

2-2 this week so 8-2 in the playoffs.

By far the best weekend of playoff football I can remember - it had it all

Man Vs ManUre · 24-01-2022 9:28pm

As great as last nights game was, it didn’t top super bowl from few years ago when Brady led a Pats comeback vs the Falcons. That display from Brady was one of the greatest sporting performances I have ever seen.

collybyrne · 24-01-2022 9:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118510358#Comment_118510358

0-4 takes me to 4-6 for the playoffs. Doesn't get much more wrong than that!

Disappointing but not surprising to see the Packers go out like that. Really taints Rodgers legacy to see this happening so often. Titans Bengals was pretty old school in the way the defences dominated and was one of those games where you really couldn't pick between them but someone had to win. Glad to see Burrow make it to a Championship game though and hope they can at least put in a good showing. Don't give them a hope against the Chiefs though.

The NFC game should be closer based on previous results but the Rams really looked to be hitting some form before the meltdown at the end of the game. That pass rush is out of this world and OBJ is just starting to do enough to take some of the heat off Kupp who was lethal anyway.

Like everyone else I think it'll be Rams Chiefs in the big one and I can't call it. Rams D vs Chiefs O and right now it's a toin coss for me.

paulie21 · 24-01-2022 10:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118516547#Comment_118516547

2-2 and 6-4 for playoffs

threeball · 24-01-2022 10:41pm

I predicted I'd go 0-4 and I was right :D. No shame in it considering the winning margins were edge of a razor.

Gotta feel for the Bills. Play any other team of the weekend and they blow them away but the Chiefs and Mahomes just will not go away. Hard to see them stopped on that form. Bengals certainly won't. Rams have the best chance as they're more rounded than the 49ers but they could very well lose to the 49ers next week.

I dont know whether I was more impressed with Allen or Mahomes but they've brought QB play to s level not seen before. Insane versatility in both their games.

eagle eye · 24-01-2022 10:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118526106#Comment_118526106

Did you read what I wrote?

I'm thinking by your comments that you are talking about the old playoff system. They changed it last year and it's much better.

eagle eye · 24-01-2022 10:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524830#Comment_118524830

I look at the Championship rounds and Superbowl as huge games.

Obviously all playoff games are important but you've won nothing by winning a wildcard or divisional round game.

VillaMad · 24-01-2022 11:23pm

One thing you could do is the higher seed going into the game is guaranteed to get the ball first in overtime in advance courtesy of the advantage of having the better record. Would take out the coin flip element which nobody is happy with.

Foxtrol · 25-01-2022 1:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528290#Comment_118528290

No need to tilt things even more in the favour of top seeds

massdebater · 25-01-2022 2:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118525071#Comment_118525071

How did you fall asleep during the 4th?!

Last night was one of the best games I've ever seen, very close with that Rams/Chiefs 54-51 Monday night game a few seasons ago with the 14 TDs.

The Pats OT win over the Chiefs that year robbed us of a repeat matchup in the Superbowl, instead we got the most boring SB ever. I'm hoping for a Rams/Chiefs SB this year and another classic.

Xavi6 · 25-01-2022 9:16am

Great insight here into the Mahomes/Kelce relationship and how they combined to get the Chiefs in FG range.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/chiefs-patrick-mahomes-travis-kelce-do-it?fbclid=IwAR25W-BQqAKush0fieboqBcae6_OEGJDi4Ec8phStyG7B5oq3zt2K4iGco8

https://twitter.com/willbrinson/status/1485652875548274690?s=21

https://twitter.com/claywendler/status/1485651130021470211?s=21

adrian522 · 25-01-2022 11:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528154#Comment_118528154

Well they are huge in the sense that 4 of the best teams in the league were eliminated last weekend, you may have won nothing but a loss ends your season. Saying they not huge games is just wrong TBH.

Kev8360 · 25-01-2022 11:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528148#Comment_118528148

Yeah apologies I was thinking of the old system - that seems a little better but it might be a tough one to get through the competition committee. They don't historically like making big changes - usually small tweaks here and there.

Took the NFL 38 years to bring in the 2pt conversion from college football so I dont see any change soon.