NFL - NEWS & NOTES

The Dog Pound was all over it today. Check it out for a fun read through. Just keep your hands in your pockets when walking around in there. Word of the day: experience.

 

They eat their young in the Dog Pound, fun stuff!

 

Chiefs collapse, Titans complete epic playoff comeback

The Kansas City Chiefs have completed the greatest NFL postseason collapse since . . . well, since the last NFL postseason game.

Leading 21-3 at halftime at home against a seemingly overmatched Titans team, the Chiefs could do absolutely nothing in the second half and found a way to lose, 22-21. It was a terrible collapse that will leave a bad taste in the mouths of everyone in Kansas City all offseason, leading to all kinds of questions about where the Chiefs go from here, including questions about whether it’s time to let Alex Smith go and turn to Patrick Mahomes.


It was also a collapse that saw the Chiefs’ hearts broken when an apparent game-winning defensive touchdown by linebacker Derrick Johnson in the final minutes was overturned when a replay review correctly showed that Titans running back Derrick Henry was down. (How referee Jeff Triplette, who had a rough game, didn’t see he was down in the first place is hard to understand.)

But questions about the Chiefs and about the officiating are, for now, secondary. Primary is that the Tennessee Titans just completed one of the great playoff comebacks in NFL history. Marcus Mariota threw one touchdown pass to himself off a deflection and another to Eric Decker in the end zone, and Henry had a huge second half running the ball. The Titans, who looked like they were about to be left for dead in the first half, looked sensational in the second half.

Now Tennessee will advance to play either the Patriots or Steelers, depending on the result of tomorrow’s Bills-Jaguars game. The Titans will be heavy underdogs against either opponent, but if they can keep playing the way they did in the second half, they’ll be a tough team to beat.

The first of this postseason’s 11 games was a great one. We can only hope to see a few more like it in the next few weeks. (PFT)

 

For what its worth...

Patriots bracing for Matt Patricia to exit, likely for Detroit

The band is going to be breaking up, but not in the way that some envisioned.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Patriots are bracing for defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to leave, most likely to become the next coach of the Detroit Lions.


Patricia, who has a degree in aeronautical engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic, joined the Patriots in 2004. He became the defensive coordinator in 2012.

Regarded as brilliant in all matters, Patricia also is believed to be more than ready to take over a team of his own. He has, we’re told, a very good relationship with Lions G.M. Bob Quinn, who previously worked for the Patriots.

One knock on Patricia came from his decision to wear the distinctive Barstool Sports T-shirt with an image of Commissioner Roger Goodell in a clown nose while exiting the team plane after Super Bowl LI. Goodell, as PFT reported in July, was still miffed about the gesture. However, it’s currently not believed that 345 Park Avenue will in any way try to throw a wrench into the process of the Lions hiring Patricia.

Of course, the Lions will have to wait until the Patriots’ season ends before hiring Patricia. The longer the job remains open, the more obvious a candidate Patricia will become, like Kyle Shanahan last year in San Francisco and Dan Quinn three years ago in Atlanta. (PFT)
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The ol' per a source with knowledge of the situation', lol.

My sources say; 'lets just wait and see'

 

Dallas Cowboys' QB Kellen Moore is retiring from playing professional football. He will be Dallas' QB Coach next season.

 

Just an excuse so Dak has to listen to and respect him when he holds the clipboard.

 

Eagles the 1st ever #1 seed divisional round underdog. Well Vegas, the people that jumped off the wagon and the Falcons can all go screw themselves. Don't be surprised if that line flips because of people buying into the motivation it would give.

 

Falcons advance with 26-13 win over Rams

The Rams hosted their first NFL playoff game in Los Angeles since 1986. The NFC West title and the league’s highest-scoring offense generated interest and created excitement in L.A. for its NFC team.

The Rams sold 74,300 tickets for Saturday night’s game, and Rams fans showed up to cheer on the home team.

But the Rams spoiled the party.

The home team fell behind 13-0, never led and lost 26-13 to the Falcons. Atlanta, as the sixth seed, will play at Philadelphia next week.

The defending NFC champions would not be denied, holding the potent Rams offense to 13 points and forcing two turnovers on special teams against the NFL’s best special teams unit.

It put an end to a two-game run of comebacks in the postseason. The Patriots, of course, rallied from a 28-3 deficit in the Super Bowl to end the 2016 season, and the Titans opened the 2017 playoffs with a win despite falling behind 21-3.

The Falcons held off the upstart Rams, who closed to within 13-10 at halftime, with a team effort. (PFT)

 

BUFFALO BILLS...

Bills running back LeSean McCoy hurt his ankle helping the Bills get to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and the injury made it uncertain that he’d be able to help them try for their first postseason win since the 1995 season.

McCoy missed two days of practice, but was able to get in a limited session on Friday before being listed as questionable for Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. PFT has learned, via a league source, that McCoy is expected to be in the lineup and “give it a go” against the Jaguars.

Given the nature of McCoy’s injury and his workload during the week, giving it a go could result in McCoy finding that his ankle isn’t well enough for him to go the whole way for the Bills. If that’s the case, Mike Tolbert and Marcus Murphy will likely be asked to take on bigger roles as the afternoon unfolds.

 

REFEREE...

Jeff Triplette, the much-criticized referee who worked Saturday’s Titans-Chiefs game, has reportedly decided to call it a career.

Triplette has told people around the league that he is retiring from the officiating business, Aditi Kinkhabwala‏ of NFL Network reports.

Saturday’s apparent career finale was not a good performance by Triplette, who drew criticism from former head of officiating Mike Pereira and had clearly angered Chiefs coach Andy Reid.

Triplette became an NFL field judge in 1996 and was promoted to referee in 1999. He is remembered primarily for his mistakes, including accidentally injuring Browns offensive tackle Orlando Brown’s eye with a weighted penalty flag, and making a replay error in a 2013 Bengals-Colts game, leading the NFL to change the replay process to give the league office input.

Off the field, Triplette has a reputation as a good man who is well liked by those who know him personally. He is a retired Army colonel who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service during the Gulf War. (PFT)

 

Way to go out on a high note.

 

Infamous referee Jeff Triplette retires.

 

I was late because I misclicked the post reply button and noticed10 minutes later lol.

 

Marqise Lee and McCoy are both active today...

 

It would pretty much make them just as inept as they have been for the last 15 years...

 

This sums it up perfectly. On the field, he was my least favorite ref due to all the blown calls, hilariously bad explanations (such as trying to explain why Mariota was an eligible receiver rather than emphasizing that he had not crossed the line of scrimmage), and the frequent appearance of general disorganization in his officiating crews. Accidentally ending a player's career obviously didn't help either.

But off the field, he might be the one I respect most. Frankly I've always wondered why the heck he became an NFL official in the first place. He certainly didn't need the job, and from everything I've ever heard about him, he's not an ego case that just wanted to be on TV.

 

The Jaguars are moving onto the Divisional Round after a 10-3 win over the Buffalo Bills in Sunday's wild-card game at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Jaguars will face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in a rematch of Jacksonville's 30-9 drubbing of Pittsburgh in Week 5.

 

Week 5 Steelers compared to the Steelers today, night and day. Jax looked weak and complacent. Although the long sleeves were out in Florida today, the weather in Pittsburgh won't be nearly as kind. High of 21F is expected next Sunday. Good luck.