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SB55 Review

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The game is done and dusted, the Bucs are the new SuperBowl champions, and we have another 6 months until we see the NFL again. Sigh. It’s time for our SB55 Review!

General consensus amongst fans is that this one of the better SuperBowl’s, but those fans tend to be Chiefs or AFC fans, while another large chunk of the population thinks is was a damn fine game indeed. There was action, excitement, and we got to see Tom Brady add another jewel to his hand of seven victories. Love him or hate him, the GOAT gap keeps widening.

Let’s take a look at the big key takeaways from SuperBowl 55 to define the big moments of the final game of the season.

Defense

D wins the big games, and the Bucs sure as hell brought theirs for SuperBowl 55. Patrick Mahomes not only didn’t record a TD, but he ran for over 400 yards in escape from the relentless attack.
The saying is that defences win SuperBowl’s and that sure was the case on February 7th.
Kansas City just didn’t have a response from their offence, and the injuries up front were not only apparent, but easily exposed.
Tampa might not have had the best overall D for the NFL season, but that doesn’t matter.
They had the best one in the big game.

Tom Brady

Tb12 is Super cool. He’s been here 10 times in the past, and his unflappable appearance in the game was the steadying rock to glide the Bucs down the ice. Brady never hit his 300 yard mark, but it didn’t really factor given that he had a solid running game to rely on.
He spread the ball around to his faves, as if he was rewarding them with post season bonuses on every pass.
Everybody got paid, and Tommy was the banker.
Perhaps the best Tom Brady pass was with the Lombardi trophy when he drunk-tossed it to Cameron Brate off a boat.
Drunk Brady might be the best Brady of all.

Gronk

If you bet on Gronk to score in the SuperBowl, congrats-you made a smart call. Rob has scored in 3 previous SuperBowl’s, and it was only logical that Tom would find a slant route of open field to hit Gronk for big gains. One TD was expected, but 2 was just the icing on that big Gronk cake.
Like Brady, Gronk really showed a different flair in the big game thanks to the more relaxed Buccaneers attitude. Patriots wins felt stuffy and corporate, but this victory was sweet.
Gronk will be back.

Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is a hell of an athlete, a smart young man, and a guy with a huge future. Sure, he got bottled in the big one, but that was the point.
If you choke Kermit, then there’s no Muppet Show.
Gonzo, Scooter, Fozzie and Miss Piggy were all flumuxed once Mahomes couldn’t get a ball off.
He surely tried with some spectacular efforts, but all was nought when it came to the pirate invasion that continued to break through the lines.
Mahomes and the Chiefs will be back here again soon, they are the team to fear.

Britt Reid

Always somber when touching on accidents involving children, but this incident had a big effect on the game. When the coaches troubled son D&D plows into a family, that kind of trauma hits the family of the team. Teams feed off emotions during a SuperBowl, and having one of your family do something so stupid and selfish before an important occasion is something that the whole family hurts with.
Yes it can be shaken off, but it lingers because players feel for the coach and they don’t want him to hurt.
That’s what loses focus in a big game, especially on a young team.

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Tom Brady-Mean Tweets

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SuperBowl media frenzy is here, which means all of the players are run through the hoops of late night TV hosts, and goofy foreign press who have a whole host of wacky games ready for the players. One of the more consistent is Jimmy Fallon’s Mean Tweets, which gets the Tom Brady version here.

It’s always fun to make fun of ole TB12, and you can imagine that there were thousands of tweets that were either omitted because they were too rude, too mean, or too personal.
Sunday nights and Monday mornings have to be a treasure trove of Tommy hate, as he would have just ruined the weekend of some punter and solidified his status as the GOAT.

Florida must be treating Tommy nicely, as that tan brings out the fact that he is still ridiculously handsome, making him even more of a target of jealousy.
Being that insanely good-looking must bring with it a world that most of the world will never know, add to that being the best player in the most popular sport in America, and you get Tom Brady.

Many people will want Tom and the Bucs to fail for being so gosh darn good, and taking a losing team then running it into the SuperBowl in the very next year.
Whatever happens on Sunday, everyone needs to appreciate what a feat it is for a guy of his age in a smash-em-up sport.
Go Tommy, go.

In the spirit though, here are some ‘Mean Tweets’ that Tom could have read out.

-You’ll always be my biTch #tombrady #mybitch #giants @EliManning

-Remember our secrets. #tombrady #rubs #tugs @RobbieKraft

-State Farm always wins! #Tombrady #youllsee #Mahomes @AaronRodgers

-I think she dead #tombrady #shedead #playme @AntBrown

-I’m watching you. You’ll come back. Return to me. #tomBrady #returntome @BellBilichicky

 

 

 

Picks Six-AFC & NFC

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THE PICKS SIX – CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

Well, here we are. After a week of uncertainty, following an exciting divisional weekend, it looks like all things are set, and Championship Sunday is set to go off with only one big name injury – but thank god it’s not Patrick Mahomes… it’s a bit hard to create six categories of picks and tips with only two games to choose from, so let’s just have a look at both Championship games and then just a few tips as to what I think might happen on Sunday. It’s time for the Picks Six for the AFC and NFC championships.

Buccaneers vs Packers

The two best quarterbacks of the past decade? One storied franchise, and one loaded upstart? The Frozen Tundra? This has ALL the ingredients to be an absolute barnburner of a game. I’m so excited for this one. Hearing Aaron Rodgers jokingly suggest he was looking forward to seeing “Tom playing safety against me” this week shows how nonsensical the “Rodgers vs Brady” take on this game really is. They’re never going to be going one on one… and yet this game STILL feels like a duel between the two quarterbacks. The defenses – especially Tampa Bay’s – will play a huge role in the outcome of this, but the ball will still touch the hands of two of the greatest to ever do this on almost every play. 

Tampa Bay rode their luck slightly last week, as Brady definitely started off shaky and grew into the contest. I’m not sure they can afford a slow start this week. Green Bay’s 1st half offensive production has been incredible and has allowed them to play from a lead most of this season. Antonio Brown is definitely a big miss for Tampa Bay, but he barely played last Sunday either and the Buccaneers defense still stepped up big time to knock out the New Orleans Saints. Devin White? Unbelievable. Insane. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will carry the load down the field. Can “Playoff Lenny” Fournette continue to find the endzone with regularity? Maybe. Green Bay’s defense has improved vastly the last six to eight weeks, and have filled the holes that were being run through with ease earlier this season. And when they have the ball? Rodgers to Davante Adams is of course the main threat, but Robert Tonyan, Allen Lazard, and even Marquez Valdes-Scantling are further threats down the field. Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon and even Jamaal Williams could ALL end up as starting running backs in the NFL, maybe as early as next season. These are two absolutely stacked teams, and it’s absolutely no surprise to see them vying for a place in SuperBowl LV.

Speaking of which… There’s never been a “home team” in a SuperBowl, and I don’t think that streak is getting broken this year. What Brady and the Bucs have achieved in their first year together is very impressive, but I just don’t see how they’re beating this Packers team, with THAT quarterback playing this well. I love my man Stephen A. Smith, and I have to agree with him – Aaron Rodgers is a bad bad bad man. Sorry not sorry TB12, I’m riding with A-A-Rod. The Pack will go back to the biggest game of the season, with hope of bringing another championship back to TitleTown.

Bills vs Chiefs

Let me just say this… if you thought, for one second, that Patrick Mahomes wasn’t going to be playing in this game… you’re absolutely crazy. The face of the NFL? He would’ve needed a rather more significant injury than the reported “nerve in his neck” injury to stop Showtime from playing in his third straight AFC Championship game. It would have been somewhat of travesty in all honesty had this Chiefs team not been at full strength as they try to “run it back,” and defend their crown. But – even though he’s cleared concussion protocol – will Mahomes be 100%? He was already struggling with turf toe last weekend against the Browns. I have to assume that he’s going to be able to play through the pain barrier and lead his team into battle. His supporting cast as well all seem to by flying at the right time. It feels almost impossible for Travis Kelce to fail to have about 8 catches, around 100 yards, and a Touchdown every week. He’s just incredible. And when they needed him most, who made the play (with the help of Chad Henne) last weekend? Tyreek Hill. The run game is definitely somewhat lacking, but it wasn’t all the impressive with Damien Williams last season before his explosion in the playoffs. The Chiefs somehow took a SuperBowl winning team and somehow became even better. 

On the other side, I absolutely love this Bills team. What Sean McDermott has done in a relatively short space of time to turn this franchise from the Patriots’ whipping boy into the 2nd best team in the AFC is incredible. In a similar vein to Travis Kelce, it’s seemingly impossible for Stefon Diggs not to end each game having scored and earned triple digit receiving yards. The rapport he and his QB have has been a true gamechanger. Josh Allen has EARNED his right to be considered one of the four best QBs in the league; that’s what we’ve got on show this weekend. Brady vs Rodgers, Mahomes vs Allen. For me, they’ve been the four best pass throwers in the league this season, so it’s great to know that we’re going to get two of them in the SuperBowl two weeks from now. That said, I do think this will be the ceiling for Josh Allen and #BillsMafia. This Chiefs team is so impressive. I haven’t even mentioned the performance that Tyrann Mathieu turned in last weekend. He’ll need to be in that mood again this weekend to stop Buffalo from upsetting the odds and heading to Tampa with a chance. But as impressive as Buffalo have been, I just can’t go against Andy Reid and this offense. So, it might be the boring and obvious pick, but I’m taking the Chiefs here too. 

Cheeky Bets

Both Players to score a Touchdown Double:

Robert Tonyan & Rob Gronkowski both to score

Travis Kelce & Josh Allen both to score

£10 on this double pays about £340 depending on your bookmaker.

Parlay

Chiefs -2.5 & Over 54.5

Packers -2.5 & Over 52.0

£10 on this double pays about £120 depending on your bookmaker.

I’ve already apologised, so I won’t do it again, but I have to favour the two favourites AND both points totals going over. I think this will be a shootout sunday for the right to compete for the Lombardi trophy in 14 days. Thank you all, whether it was once, twice, or every week, for taking the time to read my thoughts. Hope it’s brought some enjoyment to this insane few months we’ve had. Stay safe, and come chat with me on Twitter or Instagram at @CallumJDSquires. Enjoy the games. Peace.

Callum Squires is a London based NFL writer, and former US college athlete. 

Conference Playoffs

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And then there were four. Only the Bills, Bucs, Chiefs, and Packers remain, so which one of them will be the next Super Bowl Champion? We will find out in this podcast edition of the NFL Conference Playoffs.

The Divisional Playoffs last weekend brought us some incredible highs, some lowly lows, and some oh so close matches that went down to the wire. Some of those things that Wade & Ryan talk about in this edition of the podcast includes:

Bills Running Game

The Bills don’t have one, but how much will that matter? Well, going deep into the playoffs-the more well rounded teams usually fare better. While questions emerge around how the Bills can expect to survive again against the Chiefs without a running game, the guys discuss another point. What if it’s there, but we just don’t see it.

Done Drew

Drew Brees is of the big broadcast booth in the sky next season by the look of it, and what a way to whimper out. Brees was picked and prodded by the stout Bucs D last weekend, and despite the cute send off by Tom Brady after the game, it wasn’t really the way a player wants to bow out of the NFL.

Clipped Ravens

The Ravens are good, but not great. They lack the finesse of a complete team, and that puts too much pressure on Lamar Jackson. The Bills choked out Baltimore and didn’t ask if they wanted a safety word. If Baltimore wants to make a deeper push next season, they are going to need to add a running game and a few key receivers.

Rodgers Rate

Aaron Rodgers is playing phenomenal football right now. Of course, he’s only won one post season game thus far, and that was against the depleted LA Rams, who had a hobbled Aaron Donald in that game. Aaron is playing knockout football, but is that only because he hasn’t been hit yet ?

Browntown

Cleveland is as Cleveland does. The Browns shot themselves in the foot numerous times last Sunday against a Chiefs team that was ready for a right hook. The Browns screwed up in the red zone several times, and Baker wasn’t able to get the passing game going with effectiveness. For about an hour, the world was rooting for the Browns, but it wasn’t enough.

Bucs D

Something is stirring in Florida, and it isn’t a radioactive gator (or is it?). Tampa’s D has been growing in confidence week on week, thanks to TB12 being able to score at will. The Bucs harassed Drew Brees on Sunday, and their numerous picks set the stage for Buc’s points. If a Super Bowl is won by the best D, is this their best chance?

Goff-Off

Jared Goff is going to struggle to be an LA resident. Given that everyone in California is moving to Texas, Goff might want to consider packing his bags. Sean McVay is obviously miffed at Goff’s inconsistent style of play, and he has regressed since their Super Bowl appearance. Look for him to use this offseason to ‘find himself’ or the door out.

Sunday Predictions

So who do Wade & Ryan see winning this Sunday? Well have a listen to the full podcast, and you can get all of the scores and reasoning. But for the sake of brevity and giving you some betting clues, here you go.

Bucs (11-5) vs Packers (13-3)
Packers -3.5  +52
20:05 GMT

The last time these two teams met, the Bucs D grabbed Aaron Rodgers by the moustache and rode that face down the field for 38-10 beating. After getting picked off twice, you could see the look in Rodgers eyes that said basically ‘screw this crap’, and he never mentally returned.
Rematches are a different beast, and we know from TB12 last week that vengeance has its own plan.
The weather looks to be Wisconsin comfortable on Sunday, which will benefit the Bucs.
Green Bay still has some issues on their O line, while the Bucs have had to shuffle a few players on their O line to give Tommy some breathing space.
Ryan is bullish on the Packers here, as it sets up his Super Bowl prediction. He thinks that the combo of Rodgers and Adams will find too many holes in that Bucs secondary and that Tommy’s heroics will fail at the last minute.
Wade on the other hand sees this Bucs momentum continuing on. Brady loves a challenge, and you can bet he will be a bigger locker room motivator than Rodgers. If Ronald Jones is fully healthy, the Packers will struggle to contain a dual attack, not to mention Rodgers being sacked several times.
Ryan- Packers 30 Bucs 27
Wade- Bucs 31 Packers 28

Bills (13-3) vs Chiefs (14-2)
Chiefs -3  +56
23:40 GMT

It’s the battle of the young’uns, as Josh Allen takes aim at Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
Mahomes looks to have cleared concussion protocol, and his foot injury is looking good as well. It’s difficult in the best of games to contain Mahomes, so the Bills have their hands full.
Despite their winning record, the Bills have had an underdog status propelling them into the playoffs. The press has pointed to their last 90s’ appearances, and how Josh Allen was busy winning ‘cutest baby titles’ the last time the Bills made the show.
The last time these two faced off the Bills showed Mahomes a cushion of respect, which led to them getting gashed for over 240 rushing yards in a loss. The Bills won’t make the same mistake twice.
Josh Allen has more tools and confidence since that loss, which was also impacted by Covid scheduling,
Both being Canadians who lived on the US border, Wade and Ryan are favouring the plucky Bills in this contest, although for different reasons.
A diehard Bills fan, Ryan would choose them even if they all tested positive for Covid. He has all the confidence that the Bills will make the Super Bowl after this one.
Wade likes the Bills because the ghost of his father Harvie is telling him to, and that’s good enough for him.
Ryan- Bills 30 Chiefs 28
Wade- Bills 28 Chiefs 26

Do you think that the guys got it right? Feel free to reach out to us across our website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and carrier pigeon. We have a Facebook group as well that has loads of great articles and funny memes.
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At the end of the podcast, Wade pays tribute to his father Harvie McElwain who died on January 20, 2021. Harvie was a big impact on NFL in London, and this NFL loving father, grandfather and former referee’s presence will be felt here for a long time.
Safe travels Harv.

Enjoy Sunday, and please share this with all your NFL friends.

Conference Sunday

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What a wild weekend in the NFL Wildcard Playoffs! The Bills, Chiefs, Packers and Buccaneers all meet next week for Conference Sunday. Are you ready for some football?

The game lines for Sunday’s AFC and NFC championship have been released, with the Chiefs and Packers holding a narrow spread over their opponents. The Packers are favoured by 4 points over the Bucs at Lambeau, while the Chiefs are a scant 3 points favoured over the powerful Buffalo Bills.
Which two teams will be heading to the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay this season?

Here in the UK, those watching the Conference Sunday finals will have to wait until 20:05 for the NFC contest, while the AFC final follows directly after with a 23:40 kickoff. All of the games will be on NFL Gamepass.

Here are some thoughts heading into the final week of NFL playoffs before the SuperBowl.

Packers Offence

Aaron Rodgers continue to blister on at an MVP pace. The neigh sayers who bemoaned the Packers for not drafting a rookie WR to help Rodgers out have been silenced by the fact that he continues to spread the ball around relentlessly. Let’s not forget that the Packers have had the easiest route to the finals, so they will have much more to prove.

So Raven

Baltimore was smothered by the Bills defence on Saturday, forcing Lamar Jackson out of the game, and propelling them into the dank post season. Buffalo sure showed the blueprint to beat Lamar Jackson’s legs, and the Ravens will need a long hard look at what missing pieces they need to pick up in the offseason if they want to have any hope of making a longer playoff push next season.

Buffalo is Warming Up

The Ravens did what they could to throttle Josh Allen and the high flying Bills offence, but just don’t have enough to get it down. Buffalo is really starting to find their confidence now, which should be scary for a Chiefs team that barely escaped a bolstered Browns squad. Allen is also now starting to spread the ball out beyond Diggs, which will cause problems in KC.

We’re Secretly Brownies

As Patrick Mahomes made his way to the blue tent on Sunday night, a feeling started to roll across America ‘I might like the Browns’. Everyone started to root for this team as they showed their pluck and guile under the foot of the Chiefs presence. Cleveland didn’t play that bad. The Browns screwed up 2 HUGE chances in the redzone that would have made the game a totally different beast. Baker’s ill timed cross field interception took the momentum out of a huge drive, while Higgins leap into the end zone only to lose the ball to a touchback was a crappy way to end out the half. The fact that the refs missed a blatant helmet hit in the process means that the league still has work to do.

Henne Ain’t Great

Oooh everyone! Did you see the heroics of Henne? Yes, the 35 year old veteran back up had a few sneaky drives to keep the Chiefs in the win, but he also made some stoopid plays as well. How quickly everyone forgets the lame floater he tossed to a Browns player in the end zone. Not even Johnny Manziel would throw a lame duck like that. Any team that wants to sign Henne after that 2 quarters of mediocre play might be interested in some swamp land in Florida.

Reid’s Balls

Andy Reid has some pretty big balls. Going for it on 4th down with a backup QB, Reid decides to run a shotgun play quickly instead of letting the clock run and try to catch the D offside. The play worked, and sent the Browns packing. Thanks to the gonads of Andy Reid, there might be some big plays ahead.
Here is the play again.

Buc Up

Whoever keeps pissing in Tom Brady’s ‘Wheaties’, please stop. You’re giving him the motivation to star playing angry. While TB12 didn’t look amazing during the Saints game, he was facing one of the best D’s in the league. Tampa made some great adjustments to keep Tom safe, only allowing 1 sack as opposed to 10. Let’s also not forget that it was the Bucs who spanked the Packers huge this season, and with Tommy’s growing confidence, there could be trouble in Wisconsin this Sunday.

Brees Out

Well it looks like Drew Brees will be riding off into the sunset. Despite not officially saying this, every pundit and their uncle made their prediction that this would be Brees’ last game in New Orleans before taking a cushy broadcasting job. Brees has been a hell of a player, and such an ambassador for the city of New Orleans. There will be a big gap to fill after Brees leaves the swamp, and doubtful in Jameis Winston has being enough feet to fill those shoes.
The really classy moment came at the end, with footage of Brady and Brees talking to his family. TB12 throws a touchdown pass to little Brees…and no…you’re crying.

Have a great week, and let’s go Sunday!