It seems to me that LJ had underneath routes all day, but kept looking for the longer pass all night... also not sure if KC kept him in the pocket all game or if it was Baltimore's strategy to have LJ run less?
Championship Weekend: Chiefs @ Ravens, Lions @ 49ers
- Thread starter DeadlySplitter
- Start date
Yeah he graduated
big story about him being first in his family to graduate
after his mother died, his father basically raised his 14 kids by himself
Single-handedly? Lamar was awful today and committed 2 killer turnovers himself while doing next to nothing while the defense was holding the Chiefs in check.
The taunting penalty was terrible. The fumble was less so. It took a really good play for that to happen. But he needed to bear hug that ball.
End of the day, I’m assigning Lamar a greater share of the goat horns. He came up very small and looked noticeably shaken. You can’t have that from your star QB.
He is not elitist and will not stand for the Swift-Kelce power couple. Extra motivation to beat the Chiefs.
KC defense - despite the overall lack of big names - has certainly been more impressive to my eyes. Especially in the playoffs.
And how. Felt like Lions were headed to a blowout. All 3 Lions RB had more yards than McC individually. Niners couldn't stop anything. Then it just turned upside down.
They were on the road the last two games… and they didn’t have the best reg season..
So ESPN analytics has the Lions chances of winning at 90.5% vs 90.3% of going for it the first time, and 39.1 vs. 38.% the second time. Basically a wash both times. Of course, that doesn't count for momentum, if that means anything.
I think it does. Those 4th down stops can be soul crushing. It felt desperate and like the game was over when it happened. Straight up, either we get the TD or we know we can't win this anymore.
I'm reminded of optimal reliever usage. Maybe the analysis suggests using your best reliever in a spot in the 7th is best but if he's one of those closers mentally wired to only pitch the 9th maybe the analysis isn't taking enough into account.
Just heartbroken for Lions fans the City of Detroit this morning. My first football idol was Billy Sims, especially when he went around the right side and karate kicked the helpless defender. My wife is in education in Cincy and David Montgomery was a student of hers. Good kid, hard worker. Move over Buffalo, Cleveland and Minnesota. There is a new contender for most tortured fan base. In trying to be authentic to himself and his team, HC Campbell made inconsistent decisions that ultimately cost Lions fans a crazy trip to Vegas. And, oh yeah, F*&^ that ladybug that landed on Aiyuk's shoe. Too bad it didn't go hang out with Josh Reynolds.
I'm on record that I would have kicked both times, but to me, eschewing the first FG attempt to go for it was defensible, but it was absolutely indefensible to pass up the chance to tie the game with 7:32 left in the game. Sure, you'd rather have the lead, and yes, a 47 yard FG attempt is not necessarily automatic, but going for it there was as stubbornly stupid a decision as the one Campbell made at the end of the Dallas game when he went for two a second time after a penalty had pushed them back. If you don't respect the game situation, it is going to cost you.
I would've kicked on the 2nd one. The 49ers were in the midst of a 20-0 run and everything that could possibly have gone against the Lions went against the Lions for a good stretch there. Kicking to tie hopefully stems the momentum a bit and settles the team down. Also, there was 7:38 left in regulation, so even if the defense gives up points the Lions still probably have the ball last in a one possession game. Finally it was 4th and 3 which probably took running the ball off the table making it easier to defend. Obviously the 3rd down run at the goaline was the worst decision of the night.
I think Campbell is a good coach but we'll see how things evolve losing his OC.
I think Campbell is a good coach but we'll see how things evolve losing his OC.
That's why I had such a problem the first time. They were up 14. If they were up 10 or 11 and the FG would have only made it 14, then sure. It would have made it a 3 score game.
What were the chances that the drive was going to end up in a TD given the 4th down situation they faced? Even if they converted, they'd still have needed 20+ more yards for a TD.
I'd prob defend kicking the FG more if Detroit had a a reliable kicker, but they've had issues all year there. The FG wasn't free, it was 46 yards. So I was okay going for it....of course it looks bad when it doesn't work. If the kicker misses it, everyone is going to do the MMQB thing anyway...."Why did Campbell go away from his strategy all season of going for it?!?!?"
The drops and allowing a monster play to Aiyuk when the ball hit the defender in the face mask are way bigger issues than the 4th down decisions in the game.
Also, Moody had already missed a 48 yarder. FGs were defintely not gimmes for these 2 kickers. Team sometimes do not value kickers enough.
Allowing a monster play by Aiyuk? That was an amazing play and also a bit of luck. It happens in football (see the Kearse catch in the Pats-Seahwaks SB). Definitely changed the momentum.
I have to give a begrudging nod to the Chiefs' balls by starting the game giving the ball to Baltimore at home, stuffing them, getting the ball back and scoring on a methodical drive which seemed to completely put the Ravens on tilt as if a 7 - 0 deficit was nearly insurmountable. It completely knocked them off their game. The Ravens going for 4 and 1 from their own 34 on their second drive was actually insane. Harbaugh got absolutely jocked by Reid and his team melted down in spectacular fashion.
I agree. And the weird thing is, it was the reverse of the decision he made at the end of the first half, when he took a FG to go up three scores on a fourth and goal FROM THE THREE with ten seconds left. There if you convert three yards you get the TD, but he understood the risk wasn't worth passing up going up three scores with a whole half yet to play. Yet he passed up the opportunity to go back up three scores with half of the third quarter gone. It's a bit maddening.
Good point. Obviously a FG from the 3 is a sure thing as opposed to a 46 yarder. But still, it's weird.
There's also a difference between a 21-yard FG and 46-48 for the latter two. Badgley is 77% in his career on kicks between 40-49 yards so he probably makes it but it's also not a sure thing. The one at the end of the half was closer to a sure thing, Badgley is 27/28 in his career from 20-29 yards.
That was a little different though. It wasn't a lot of yards but since it was the end of the half inside the 5, you lose the advantage of really bad field position for your opponent if you don't get it. So the math of going for it there is a lot less appealing than it would be during a normal part of the game.
Circling back to the first game:
@Deathofthebambino was 1000000% correct on Lamar. He is now 0-4 in the playoffs when the opposing team scores more than 13 points.
Harbaugh is now 3-6 over his last 9 playoff games.
KC had an awful rushing defense this year and yet the Ravens had only 8 rushes all game that were handoffs to running backs.
Absolutely brutal performance in every way by Baltimore. They were, are and forever will be frauds under their current leadership.
@Deathofthebambino was 1000000% correct on Lamar. He is now 0-4 in the playoffs when the opposing team scores more than 13 points.
Harbaugh is now 3-6 over his last 9 playoff games.
KC had an awful rushing defense this year and yet the Ravens had only 8 rushes all game that were handoffs to running backs.
Absolutely brutal performance in every way by Baltimore. They were, are and forever will be frauds under their current leadership.
That's what people are forgetting with the KC-SF matchup. CMC and the Niners should be able to run the ball at will.
The most surprising thing to me in both games was the dominance of KC’s front. They were in Lamar’s face for pretty much the entire game. Not that it excuses Jackson’s poor performance, but I was impressed by KC’s defensive game plan and surprised by how underwhelming Baltimore’s OL was.
That's the thing. Shanahan has the best RB by far in the NFL and insisted on calling the cute plays twice. I mean at some point he was doing big enough vs Detroit to be forced into more passing situations but vs Green Bay he definitely should have run more.
Let's see what he does vs KC.
I seem to remember something about that field having crappy grass where kickers don't get a firm foothold.
Also Moody is the happiest guy in the world today that no one is talking about his miss. The poor bastard in Buffalo is getting death threats.
That's why I thought the Lions would do well. The first half was as dominant a performance of a run game as I can remember. Maybe you can cheat a little with Goff and throw another guy into the box, more than with some other QB, but with Amon-Ra and LaPorta he's still got enough weapons to keep the pass coverage honest.
Eh I see what you’re saying but fans generally don’t lament first quarter FG misses.
I disagree on the consequences. San Farncisco was down by 17 points at the half. Even if they lose by 3 they are not blaming Moody for missing a FG in the 1st quarter.
The Buffalo guy was unfairly blamed because at least Josh Allen could have gotten him much closer instead of throwing to the end zone twice but that's another story.
This does make one appreciate the Justin Tuckers of the league (Although I think there's only one of him). Having a reliable kicker changes much of the game.
I thought this was because KC blitzed a lot. There were many times 5 or 6 guys rushed.
FWIW, I'd take Butker over Tucker.
Butker is 28/32, 88% in the playoffs, mostly outdoors at Arrowhead. Has hit some big kicks with time expiring (NE, CIN, BUF). Tucker is 18/22 in the playoffs, in obviously a smaller sample. Had a 1/3 game against Buffalo a few years ago, both misses inside 50. Missed a kick at home against LAC that would've cut it to a one score game in the 3rd quarter in what ended up being a 5 point loss.
I know that.
But I guess Tucker is the most known? Not necessarily a good thing.
But I am focusing more on the other playoff teams. Moody has been erratic (and is a rookie). Green Bay's had a big miss, and we all know Buffalo's. Plus I have a feeling part of the equation for Campbell on those 4th downs was his kicker.
Ultimately, it comes down to if you win. A lot of Pats fans still lament Gostkowski’s 1st quarter missed PAT in the 2015 AFCCG which necessitated the failed 2 point try at the end but Vinatieri’s early game misses (and blocked kick which was mostly on him) in the 2003 playoffs get overlooked because the Pats won.
In an alternate universe where the Pats don’t convert both 2 point tries vs Atlanta, Gostkowski is still getting slammed for missing the PAT in the 3rd quarter.
It’s fascinating, albeit not surprising, in retrospect how many awful/negative plays get forgotten easily when the team is victorious. Blount’s fumble in SB51, Brady’s braindead 4th quarter interception in the 2011 AFCCG, the Wagner interception in SB49, the long catch and runs allowed to RB’s on what should have been game clinching drives by Seattle and Atlanta, etc
They often get overlooked but early bad plays can often come back and haunt you. I still play the “what if” game with Brady’s intentional grounding safety at the beginning of SB46 and Crumpler’s dropped pass in the opening minutes of the 2010 AFCDG.
If Mahomes had a highlight clip like this while leading a 17 point halftime come from behind victory, they'd say he's better than Brady already.
I think Purdy still isn't getting enough credit honestly:
View: https://twitter.com/Coach_Yac/status/1752009174030946431
I think Purdy still isn't getting enough credit honestly:
View: https://twitter.com/Coach_Yac/status/1752009174030946431
We can debate that decision all we wanted, but Reynolds was wide open and dropped the ball. Gotta make that play.
If Mahomes did that the internet would collapse in on itself.
Purdy impressed the hell out of me in the 2nd half comeback. And this is coming from someone who thinks he's an excellent QB.
Also, this is just funny. BA is PISSED his play doesn't make it to No. 1 on ESPN's top plays.
View: https://twitter.com/Coach_Yac/status/1752015725412106540
View: https://twitter.com/Coach_Yac/status/1752015725412106540
KC's rush defense was 18th best in yards allowed, 25th best in yards per attempt, and 15th best in first downs by rushing allowed.
I'd say that on the whole their rush defense was mediocre AT BEST, but on the whole, not very good. It's inexplicable that Baltimore only handed off 8 times all game to running backs. Inconceivable. And even then, Lamar only had 8 rushing attempts, but most of those were scrambles. He had almost no designed runs.
They were the #1 rush offense in the NFL this year by a wide margin.
#1 in total rush yards (262 more than #2). The difference between them and #2 was bigger than the difference between #2 and #9. They were #3 in rush yards per attempt. #4 in rush TD. #4 in rush first downs.
Dominant running game and they completely, utterly abandoned it in the AFCCG against a team with a poor rush defense. And not because they were down big or because KC was running up the score. They just...gave up on it. Moreover, when Jackson dropped back to pass, he rarely hit the short or medium pass. He kept looking for the huge play.
It's almost as if Harbaugh and Jackson said, look, in order to make sure everyone knows that you are in Mahomes' class, we need to win, yes, but we need to win by you throwing for 400 yards.
What a gag job.
On that note ^^... San Fran better just keep running the ball down KC's throat, from the first quarter through the fourth, never stopping. They've got the best back and the best blocking TE in the game, and they need to just pound it and pound it and pound it. If they have Purdy drop back 40 times they're morons.
Yeah this extends all the way back to Brady's first playoff game, when he threw that pick in the 3rd quarter. He threw the bad pick toward the end of the Carolina Super Bowl. He had an awful, inexcusable fumble against the Colts in the AFCCG the week prior. It's really the nature of the playoffs and how thin the margins are.
I'd also add that missing PATs (even from 33 yards as opposed to the old 20 yarders) is a little bit of a different animal than a 46 yarder in winter (Buffalo) or wet (SF) conditions. Or missing in Denver where 60 yards is more like 50 due to the altitude. You're right though that people are still mad at Gost. Personally I'm more mad for Brady throwing that pick to Von Miller early ish that led to the 2nd Denver TD>
And yes, fuck Alge Crumpler for that drop.
Cannot stop laughing at this. This made me laugh more than anything I have ever read on this board. Fucking hilarious. Fucking brilliant.