Rocky Landing

Apologies if this has already been posted: https://sports.theonion.com/nfl-conference-championships-keys-to-the-matchups-1846110995

I don't know how anyone else feels, but I'm really glad the NFC game is on first.

If Stills has any chemistry with Allen at this point, I might want to have him in place of Davis. I'm not sure what's going on with Davis, but he's been in a slump, and has missed some catchable balls in his last several games. We shall see...

I agree with this. Not surprised he spent most of this season on the PS. I have to believe that CB is one of the harder positions to transition into the pros from college, and with the limits on rookies this time around, one can only be impressed with him. A seventh round steal.

Yeah, Duke Williams has fans on this board. Is there a reason to be a dick about that?

Watson to Miami Fields to jersey Fitzpatrick to NE* Bills with Allen This would be one helluva competitive division.

I don't think the big bosses spend much time in Jersey anymore...

So, the Jets end up with Justin Fields, or they acquire Deshaun Watson. One of those two things happen, and maybe you clowns have the second best QB in the AFCE?

I love Matt Milano. He's a great player, and his impact is unquestionable. But, he isn't even the MVP of the defense, let alone the entire team.

I was thinking when I saw that during the game, "dang! did Micah just give Taron a concussion???" Wow, good catch! If you go to the replay, where you showed that particular frame, and you advance frame by frame, it's pretty clear: Zimmer got two fingers on it. Pretty cool!

And also that he doesn’t read TSW.

I think Murphy did his job exactly by the scheme they played. He didn't get a sack, but I'm assuming his job in the scheme was to keep Jackson from escaping to his right. That's a tall order, and Murphy looked like a vet. Perfect fit for that game, IMO. Phillips had, I believe, the best game I've ever seen him in. He slipped tackles (against a decent line!) in a way that I didn't think he was capable of. And, he even looked fast. Great job by both players, IMO.

Weird Yeldon love on this thread. It's almost like amnesia...

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I'd much rather see Antonio out there than Yeldon. In the limited time we've seen AW, I believe there is ample reason to be impressed. In the second half of the Dolphins game, they came out prepared to face Barkley. They played press man, and stacked the box, and Antonio, ran it down their throats on the first play. He showed a real ability to push the pile, and looked like the downhill runner that we lack. I know he is still a bit of an unknown commodity. But, unfortunately, Yeldon is a known commodity.

I did!

I have respect for Rothlisberger's career. But, honestly, that career should be over. He is terrible.

Jesus Christ! The Steelers are melting down!

I saw that same little stutter step, just before the catch. I replayed it for my son a few times. When you consider the velocity of that ball, as well. Amazing vision.

A friend of mine who is a Titans fan texted me (before their loss today): "Lol. You were 2 bad coaching decisions away from losing to the second best team in the AFC South." I replied: "If we could have equalized field position, we would have destroyed them." I'm still debating whether I should send a followup text: "Lol. You lost to the second best team in the AFC North."

Yeah, Lamar was pretty classless at the end there, also running into the tunnel, and snubbing Tannehill.

I'm happy about this. I feel like we match up better against the Ravens than the Titans. Not by much, perhaps... but the Titans are a more balanced team. All that being said... GO STEELERS!!!

Well, if Reich knew his opponent better, he wouldn't have gone for it on that fourth and goal where they turned it over on downs. The current Bills have a very good record on those stands.

I agree with an observation made by an announcer that Moss, and Singletary are "clones." Well, maybe not "clones," exactly, but I've been saying all season that they aren't complimentary backs-- they are too similar. When Williams came in vs Miami, I thought he looked like a better option for power back than how we were using Moss, and to me, the question became: Who is the better scat back- Motor, or Moss? Personally, I think Moss is the better all-around back, but I think Motor might be the better scat. Of course, that's likely a moot question, with Moss's injury. I think a duo of Singletary, and Williams is the right way to go, moving forward. And, as far as Williams vs. Yeldon? I have very little faith in Yeldon. If Moss's injury is going to take him out, or otherwise limit him for next week, I hope they go with Williams.

Colts are winning field position in a big way.

Great writeup as always, DSB. Looking at where the Bills were last week, it's easy to feel good going into this game. But, I'll say watching the Colts last week-- it's harder to know where they're at. The Jags are so terrible, it made it hard (at least, for me) to really assess the Colts performance. They had a lot to play for, but the Jags didn't really put up a fight. We demoralized the Phins last week. The Jags showed up demoralized. Some thoughts: Offensively: If I had to pick which AFC team to play first, this would certainly be the one. But, this is the playoffs, and no wins will come easy. I wonder how aggressive Daboll's scheme will be? I have a feeling we're going to see a quicker release from Josh, and short-yardage plays designed to move the chains, and maintain time of possession. Speaking of ToP, I would think keeping Rivers off the field would be a priority for Daboll. Rivers can be a real "hot or cold" QB. If he gets in a groove, he is dangerous. Keeping him off the field goes a long way in keeping him cold. I hope Josh spreads the ball around a lot. The Colts' D is a unit that will get flummoxed the more receivers they see as a threat. I could see a lot of different guys being wide open against this Colts' D. And, the more players get receptions, the easier it is to keep key players healthy. I'm never in favor of playing for the next game, or taking an opponent lightly. But, this could be a game that Diggs does not carry on his shoulders. Defensively I know Taylor is being much heralded as one of the NFL's current top RBs, but I have to wonder if his abilities might be a tad overrated? Last week, for example, he utterly feasted. But, the Jags are sooo bad! Before that, a loss to a slumping Steelers saw him at 4.1 YPC. He had some impressive stats vs. the Texans the week before that. But, JJ Watt had all of one tackle in that game. I could see Klein having a real impact in stopping Taylor. This is a game where the DTs need to shine. Really, the whole line. Rivers needs to be flushed from the pocket as much as possible. He needs to be rattled. Tre will also need to have a good game vs. TY Hilton. But, I would expect him to get help. Rivers/Hilton is their Allen/Diggs (to a lesser extent, of course). They have a chemistry, and Hilton can stretch the field, and make some big time catches. If we limit their connection, keeping Rivers from getting into his groove gets easier. GO BILLS!