The Armchair Quarterback’s Guide To Super Bowl Dead Week

What I Learned From The NFL Playoffs

Normally this section is reserved for my weekly game predictions, but since there aren’t any games this week (sorry, I won’t be giving you a break down or prediction of the Pro Bowl) I thought instead I’d give you a little list of what I learned from this year’s NFL playoffs.

1. The Pocket Quarterback Is Still Alive And Well

A year ago it almost felt like pocket QBs like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees were headed for NFL extinction. Everybody and their mother seemed to be searching for a dual-threat/read option QB. However, as we look at last week’s games it’s clear that the least mobile QB was far and away the best of the bunch. Meanwhile, Colin Kaepernick may have rushed for 130 yards, but ultimately he lost his team the game because he turned the ball over three times. The threat of a QB taking off and using his legs does add an extra element for defenses to worry about, but in the end it’s a QBs ability to throw the ball that is most important and I don’t think that will change any time soon.

2. Come January, You Still Need A Good Defense To Win

The NFL is constantly evolving and what may have worked ten years ago may not always work today. However, the old saying that “defense wins championships” still has a ring of truth to it. Obviously the Seattle/San Francisco game was billed as the defensive battle, but don’t sleep on what Denver’s defense has done in the playoffs. In their two playoff wins (against Phillip Rivers and Tom Brady) the Broncos have allowed a total of 33 points. That’s only one point more than Seattle allowed against New Orleans and San Francisco.

3. In The Playoffs, No Lead Is Safe

I won’t lie, this lesson hurt, a LOT. As a die hard Kansas City Chiefs fan I was absolutely on cloud nine as my team took a 38-10 lead in the third quarter. Finally, my team was going to end their 20 year playoff drought! (Sigh) I still can’t talk about what happened next, but let’s just say that I will never take a game for granted again no matter what the score is or how much time is left.

4. Having A Power Back To Wear Down Defenses And Control The Clock Is Beneficial

If asked what running backs had the best seasons in 2014 the top three answers would likely be LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, and Matt Forte. Those three backs were not only explosive runners but major factors in their teams’ passing games. While all three have shown the ability to run between the tackles, none of them are exactly known as “power backs”. However, Forte’s Bears didn’t make the playoffs and Charles and McCoy were bounced int the first round. Meanwhile, the backs featured by the NFL’s final four teams were often more physical in nature. Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, LeGarrette Blount, and even Knowshon Moreno all showed the ability to drop their shoulders, fight for the tough yards, wear defenses down, and run the clock when necessary. While these backs may not go in the top five picks of your fantasy draft next season, it appears that they come in handy come playoff time.

5. Bill Belichick Still Really Hates Wes Welker

In today’s NFL it seems you see more pick plays than you do in an NBA game. The play is pretty much run by every team in the NFL in an attempt to get WRs some separation from their defender. The Patriots run these plays on a regular basis. That’s why it was so comical when Bill Belichick called Wes Welker’s pick on Aqib Talib one of the worst plays he’s ever seen. Welker and Belichick reportedly butted heads when Welker was in New England and wanted a new contract. Apparently Bill holds a grudge.

6. The NFL Playoffs Are Still The Best Thing In Sports

With March Madness looming around the corner, many of us will soon get swept up in the joys of college basketball, but for my money NOTHING compares to the NFL playoffs. While the “epic showdown” between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning turned out to be a bit of a dud, the playoffs in general have been fantastic. They started with the Colts epic comeback against Kansas City (grumble, grumble) and just kept right on impressing all the way up to Richard Sherman’s pass break up turned interception that sealed the game for the Seahawks on Sunday. I love college football. I love March Madness. I still think a 1-0 World Series game is one of the most exciting things in sports, but nothing, NOTHING compares to the NFL playoffs and I can only hope that the Super Bowl delivers like most of the playoff games did.

Next week I’ll be back to the game break down and prediction for the Super Bowl. In the meantime, it’s on the Armchair Quarterback’s Odds and Ends Of The Week……