A First Time For Everything

For the first time in QB Aaron Rodgers career with the Green Bay Packers, he will be hosting the NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field. It’s amazing to think that has never happened while he’s been putting up Hall of Fame numbers for the Packers. They didn’t really have any trouble defeating the Los Angeles Rams. Even when DT Aaron Donald was able to play, the Packers neutralized him and controlled the pace of the game. The Rams made a valiant effort on offense to keep things interesting, but the Packers are playing well right now. They’ll be tough to beat, but they have to play an opponent that put enormous pressure on Rodgers when they played each other earlier this season.

Bills Mafia

It wasn’t the best game of the weekend, but the end result was unique under the circumstances. Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson didn’t have a great game and with the Ravens down 10-3 and being inside the 10-yard line of Buffalo he threw a pick-6. That was the reason why they lost. Not because Jackson later left the game because of a concussion. Afterwards Bills fans began to get together online and donated money in honor of Jackson to a charity (Blessings in a Backpack) he supports. Most of the donations were in $8 increments just his number 8 jersey. The charity received over $300,000 and counting. This is why it is so easy to root for the Bills right now. Their fan base have become legends in their own right.

It Almost Happened

The Cleveland Browns had some moments in this game. If it had not been for a fumble that went out of bounds in the end zone just before halftime, maybe the second half would have started out differently. The Kansas City Chiefs lost QB Patrick Mahomes for most of the second half and there was a chance for Cleveland. They put together some scoring drives and were making a game out of it. However, the offense was stymied in their own territory late in the game and never saw the ball again. The Chiefs 4th down conversion to seal the game showed why they are the defending champions. WR Tyreek Hill is almost impossible to cover in short spaces. That’s why he was wide open on that conversion. It was a good run for the Browns. They should continue to be here for some time.

Was That It?

I’d be hard pressed to come up with a worse game for New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees. He threw 3 interceptions and was not his usual self when it comes to seeing the field and reading defenses. The third time was the charm for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they beat their division rival. QB Tom Brady was sharp and has this team in a position to host the Super Bowl as it will be in Tampa Bay, Florida this season. Was this the end for Drew Brees though? All indications before and after this game are that it was. If that’s the case you don’t want to see it end this way, but not every Hall of Famer can choose the terms for which they retire. Brees is one of the greatest quarterbacks I’ve ever seen and if this was the end for him, he went out on his terms.