PMT DB
PMT DB
Divisional Round Recap: Bears Heartbreak, Bills Falling Short, and the Patriots' Easy Path
The Divisional Round delivered exactly what it promised: pure, unadulterated chaos and a healthy dose of heartbreak. Big Cat and Zac Memes are still thawing out from a frozen Soldier Field, while Hank is already planning his victory lap in Orlando. It was a weekend that saw miracles happen for some and the same old story play out for others.
The Bears’ Miracle Run Runs Out
Solider Field was nearly leveled by the sound of the crowd when Caleb Williams found Cole Kmet for a play that looked like a Madden glitch come to life. Big Cat was convinced the script was written in the stars for a deep run into February.
Big CatThe Bears are just going to win the Super Bowl
And I, in that moment [after the Cole Kmet touchdown] was like, I think the Bears are just gonna win the Super Bowl. They're just gonna, they're just gonna pull Miracle After Miracle, because that play was so dead.
Unfortunately, the magic ran dry in overtime. Between a lazy route by DJ Moore on the final interception and Matthew Stafford finding ways to pick apart a gimping secondary, the dream died in the snow. PFT pointed out that the Bears have been playing Russian Roulette with five bullets in the chamber for months, and the hammer finally hit a live round. On the bright side, Ben Johnson seems to be the real deal, even if he couldn't overcome the Rams' defensive line and the literal "Bare Weather" that eventually took out even the guy who flew in from Hawaii to hold up a sign.
Bills Heartbreak and the McDermott Question
Buffalo found another innovative way to ruin a January. Between Josh Allen’s late-half fumble and a controversial catch-no-catch in overtime involving Brandon Cooks and the ground, Bills Mafia is once again left with nothing but screenshots and sadness. Big Cat and PFT both agreed that while Josh Allen isn't blameless, the pattern is becoming impossible to ignore.
PFT CommenterCJ Stroud was 'mega ass' against the Patriots
CJ Stroud, CJ Stroud. Little bro ass. Lil bro ass... He was the most ass he's ever been. Wow. It was that ass. And he's been ass before. It was mega ass.
It feels like a wasted opportunity in a wide-open AFC. While the turnovers were brutal, PFT is still holding onto hope for the face of the franchise long-term.
Big CatThe Seahawks are the best team in the NFL
And see this is what the Seahawks are. I think they are the best team in the NFL and they have been doing this throughout the year in some of these games... The Seahawks are this good. They they, they play perfect defense.
The Seahawks are the Truth
If anyone was still doubting whether the 12th Man makes a difference, the opening kickoff against the Niners should have silenced them. The Seahawks didn't just win; they physically removed the Niners from the playoffs. It was a 41-6 beatdown that made the 2013 Seahawks look like a finesse team. Big Cat is officially calling them the cream of the crop.
PFT CommenterDrake May is statistically the worst quarterback in the NFL on 3rd and 6
We've discovered that Drake May is statistically the worst quarterback in the NFL over the past two seasons... on third and six. I think he's 34th or 36th in the league. And he has a 27% completion percentage. League average is about 50.
Sam Darnold only had to throw 17 passes because Rashid Shaheed and Kenneth Walker were busy moonwalking into the end zone. It was a perfect game script for a guy dealing with an oblique injury, and now Seattle looks like a terrifying host for the NFC Championship.
Patriots’ Path and the Bo Nix Conspiracy
Drake May didn't have to be perfect because CJ Stroud turned in one of the most baffling performances in playoff history. PFT wasn't holding back on the Texans' signal-caller.
HankThe Seahawks will smoke the Rams in the NFC Championship
I also think Rams or Bears are getting smoked by the Seahawks. [Watching them on Saturday night], the thought definitely crossed my mind as like, I don't know how the Bears [or Rams] could potentially do anything against the Seahawks defense in Seattle.
Meanwhile, in Denver, the Broncos won the game but lost their quarterback—or did they? Bo Nix is reportedly out with a broken ankle, but the guys are smelling something fishy. Sean Payton’s immediate, detailed breakdown of the injury and the surgery schedule felt a little too convenient for a coach who has been obsessed with Jared Stidham since the day he arrived.
Big CatThe Seahawks just played the most perfect game in NFL history
If you look at the stats, they basically played a perfect game. They scored 40 plus points. They rushed for 150 yards. They had zero turnovers, allowed zero touchdowns, had less than 10 penalty yards, scored a special teams touchdown. No other team in the NFL's history has done all of that in any game. Regular season or playoffs.
Who’s Back and National Title Talk
With the National Championship on the horizon, PFT is looking at his Miami future and feeling some major Indiana-flavored anxiety. He's fully prepared to hedge if the Hurricanes give him any room to breathe.
Big CatThe Bills must fire Sean McDermott
I think you have to move on from Sean McDermott. Yeah. I don't know. It's not that he's a bad coach. You can't keep doing the same thing every single year. You can't keep losing in the playoffs every single year this way and expect things to change.
In a quick pivot to baseball, Big Cat is already mourning the NL Central after Kyle Tucker decided to join the Dodgers’ super-team. The Dodgers are now essentially the Avengers, and it’s forced a reality check for Cubs fans everywhere.
PFT CommenterBo Nix's injury was a 'soft benching' by Sean Payton
Is this the most high profile soft benching of all time?... Think about it. If, if, if Sean Payton benched Bo Nix, everyone would riot. Now he's got a fractured ankle and he's going to Alabama and it's Diddy [Stidham], his guy.
We’ve only got four football games left plus the Pro Bowl dodgeball tournament, so enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Maybe next year the Bears will try putting cayenne pepper in their socks before the game starts.
