Welcome back to another edition of Football Morning in Columbia, where KCOU’s Quentin Corpuel highlights the week’s best, worst and everything in-between from the NFL
Front page headline
Two universes of heartache
This past weekend saw a lot of jubilation. In front of a ruckus Ford Field crowd, the Lions advanced to their first NFC Championship game since 1991 and their second in the Super Bowl era. Despite a valiant first half effort from the Texans, the Ravens pulled away and got over the hump of the Divisional Round for the first time since 2013. After Isiah Pacheco powered his way to a game-sealing first down in Buffalo, the men in red roared as they silenced the doubters that’d been swirling all season long.
However, just like every year, there’s another side of the postseason.
Let’s start in San Francisco. In the past, this is where the Packers have seen their season end. 2013, 2014, 2020, 2022. All of them saw the green and yellow fade away at the hands of the 49ers. In their fifth postseason matchup of the last 11 years, Green Bay rolled into the Bay Area with their second-worst team by record (they had just eight wins heading into their 201? Wild Card matchup). In normal conditions, this likely would’ve been an easy Niners win.
Except the conditions were far from normal. It was raining hard in the Bay Area, and it was affecting Purdy a lot more than Love. Purdy was even caught wiping his hand on his pants in the middle of a drop back.
Jordan Love had a good game, which was accentuated by Brock Purdy looking like he’d never experienced inclement weather before. Over the past few seasons, San Fran hasn’t needed their quarterback to uplift their offense like most others – they’ve simply needed them to not sink the offense. Purdy almost drowned amidst the heavy rain, and it almost cost them a shot at the NFC Championship game. Funny enough, the water that’d made life so hard for Purdy ended up saving him; the Packers dropped multiple would-be interceptions.
The two quarterbacks had inverse games. Purdy played pretty terribly until the very end, where he led a game-winning drive that featured multiple high-level passes. Love had played extremely well, and he was, in all honesty, Green Bay’s best defense against San Fran’s offense because he helped keep them off the field. Their first four offensive drives last 7:38, 4:39, 4:33 and 4:01.
Unfortunately for Love, the game’s lasting image lasted just 18 seconds.
This was eerily similar to another season-ending interception in the playoffs by a Packers QB: a cross-body throw into thick coverage. That one play showed both edges of Love’s double-edged playstyle sword; his aggressiveness and funky throws are what got the Packers to this point, but it can prove costly, as it did here.
The upset bid was over, the hearts of cheeseheads taking a punch that’ll hurt for a little bit. But they weren’t supposed to be here. There’s a lot to like about the state of the Green Bay Packers. Life will go on, and better days will be ahead.
But Buffalo…Buffalo…that was a far more painful emotional jump through the table.
They’re right there…and they still can’t get there. The buffaloes have rumbled dominantly over the past few years. They’ve had one loss by one possession over the past two seasons combined – their 27-10 defeat at the hands of Cincinnati in last year’s Divisional Round. They’ve won double-digit games in every season since 2019. Their offense has been at the tops of the league in most statistics. Despite continuously shooting themselves in the foot at times this season, they still rolled into the playoffs as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Will it ever be remembered?
I’m not quite sure, but it doesn’t look promising. They’ve already been on this merry-go-round when they lost four straight Super Bowls. Now, instead of being denied by the Lombardi Trophy, the rejectors wear red and white. The ‘70’s Vikings, the late ‘90’s Utah Jazz and many other great teams who continuously came up short are awaiting company. This iteration of the Bills is stumbling closer to them every year. I can’t speak of the future, but for now, this was Buffalo’s best shot at taking down Kansas City. They were at home against the worst version of the Mahomes-era Chiefs. It didn’t matter.
I remember in third grade, my beloved New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup quarterfinals. The year was 2013; after Washington had beaten New York in the 2009 and 2011 playoffs, the Rangers beat them in 2012 and would eventually beat them again in 2015. This was also a period of time where the Capitals couldn’t stop playing in seven-game series; from 2009-15, eight of the 10 playoff series they played in went to seven games. Caps fans’ hearts were constantly on edge, and they’d been broken twice in two years by the same team as they were right on the precipice of a series victory.
I should also mention I lived in Maryland for most of my childhood, including 2013, which meant that I was in Capitals country. I remember wearing my Henrik Lundqvist jersey to school the next day oozing with victory, to which I was met with snide looks and booming jeers. To them, I was a walking representation of the hump their beloved hockey team suddenly couldn’t get over.
Now, imagine that for Bills fans, but exponentially worse. They’ve never beaten the Chiefs in the playoffs in the Allen/Mahomes era. They’ve never won a Super Bowl, while their kryptonite has won two in the past five years and might win a third this time around. It’s become a vicious cycle. If not now…when?
A unique final four
Take a look at the past seven seasons of final fours in the NFL:
2024: (3) Chiefs-(1) Ravens, (3) Lions-(1) 49ers
2023: (3) Bengals-(1) Chiefs, (2) 49ers-(1) Eagles
2022: (4) Bengals-(2) Chiefs, (6) 49ers-(4) Rams
2021: (2) Bills-(1) Chiefs, (5) Buccaneers-(1) Packers
2020: (6) Titans-(2) Chiefs, (2) Packers-(1) 49ers
2019: (2) Patriots-(1) Chiefs-(2) Rams-(1) Saints
2018: (3) Jaguars-(1) Patriots-(2) Vikings-(1) Eagles
Now, here are the past seven final fours and the quarterbacks that started each game:
2024: Patrick Mahomes-Lamar Jackson, Jared Goff-Brock Purdy
2023: Joe Burrow-Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy-Jalen Hurts
2022: Joe Burrow-Patrick Mahomes, Jimmy Garoppolo-Matthew Stafford
2021: Josh Allen-Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady-Aaron Rodgers
2020: Ryan Tannehill-Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers-Jimmy Garoppolo
2019: Tom Brady-Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff-Drew Brees
2018: Blake Bortles-Tom Brady, Nick Foles-Case Keenum
The past handful of seasons have seen a lot of different combinations of teams and quarterbacks, but this season feels especially fun.
This conference championship round is going to feature three quarterbacks who are trying to prove their worth after either heavy doubts about their ability (Purdy) or previous playoff failures (Goff and Jackson). The fourth? Patrick Mahomes, the Goliath that will either be taken down by Jackson (whose legacy will experience a massive boost if that happens), one of Purdy or Goff (TBD on legacy impact) or will just win the whole game and have his legend grow even further.
Quick(ish) hitters
History bites back
Tyler Bass, Scott Norwood. Jordan Love, Brett Favre.
““History doesn’t repeat itself, but It often rhymes” – Mark Twain
Fumbling out of the end zone
Good rule. Just don’t fumble there.
Michigan/Lions fans
These people are having the greatest month of their life. Perhaps the Pistons, who currently sit at 4-38, had to be sacrificed in order for the Lions and the Wolverines to succeed.
That Josh Allen throw
This wasn’t a throw; this transcended beyond a “throw”. This was a Herculean plea to the football gods for long-awaited salvation. It traveled 63.4 yards in the air according to Next Gen Stats…only for it to slash right through the grasp of Stefon Diggs. Add this one to Buffalo’s extensive list of “almost” in franchise history.
“Who else but St. Brown?!”
That’s what Mike Tirico said after St. Brown converted a crucial third-and-15 in the fourth quarter by dragging two defenders across the line to gain. Later in the drive, St. Brown reeled in a touchdown to put the Lions up by two scores.
Tirico’s line perfectly encapsulated St. Brown’s consistent production. He’s registered at least 75 receiving yards and/or a touchdown in all but one game this season.
Speaking of consistent excellence…
Tara VanderVeer
Warning: this is the first of three college basketball diversions, all three of which are absolutely worthy of mention. Usually, something like this would go into the “Certain Things, Among Others” category, but this is the only thing for this week, so I’ll put it here.
Tara VanderVeer started her coaching career at Idaho, then moved to Ohio State in 1981 and coached there for four seasons, making the NCAA Tournament three times. Then, she took the Stanford job prior to the 1986-87 season; since then, the only season she’s missed was 1995-96, as VanderVeer was coaching the US national team.
As head coach, she’s only missed the Big Dance once, which was her first season at Stanford. Since 1987-88, Stanford has made every single NCAA Tournament; only Tennessee and UConn women’s basketball have accomplished that feat on both the men’s and women’s side. Not only that, they’d missed the Sweet 16 just seven times, with three of them being when Stanford was a seven seed or lower.
Last week, VanderVeer passed Mike Krzyzewski for most wins by a Division I coach with 1,203. I’m always hesitant to say that a record will never be broken, but a potential successor would not only have to coach for well over 30 years, they must do it consecutively and at a high level. Nevertheless, it’s truly incredible stuff.
Awards and superlatives
Guy I Really Wouldn’t Want to Be Right Now: Tyler Bass
One thing I’ve learned about history is that it’s largely defined by small sample sizes in large moments. Wars. Sporting Events. Whatever. What’s most remembered oftentimes happened in a moment.
This, in my opinion, makes the job of a kicker incredibly difficult. Their entire job is a few small moments. They get far fewer chances to succeed than their peers, so their mistakes are magnified. If you miss at the wrong time, your name can be etched right next to Scott Norwood.
This was different from Scott Norwood. Yes, both Norwood and Bass were in the upper half of the league in kicking whose misses cost Buffalo a shot at a Super Bowl (Norwood’s was of obviously greater magnitude, as the Bills win that Super Bowl against the Giants if he split the uprights).
The actual kicks, however, weren’t the same. Norwood’s kick looked like a misfire the entire way; its trajectory was the same shape as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Bass’ kick looked like a make for the first second; then, the invisible playoff demon that’s haunted Buffalo for decades took out a fan and blew the ball wide right. Somewhere in the near distance, Chris Berman’s trademark “WOP!” rang as loud as the silence inside of HighMark Stadium.
This miss will mask Buffalo’s other shortcomings from Sunday. Although he didn’t actually turn the ball over, Josh Allen made mistakes. Stefon Diggs did, too. But what’s under the mask isn’t remembered; that can’t be seen by everyone else.
After the game, Bass was apologetic.
“I’ve got to do a better job of playing it a little bit more left when you have a left-to-right (wind),” Bass said. “I’ve been here long enough to know that you have to do that. You know, I was trusting my line that I had in warmups. Hit a good ball, but it didn’t work out. I feel terrible, you know?”
Hit a good ball, but it didn’t work out. That’s the story of the Buffalo Bills, and the theme won’t change unless they don’t have to meet the Chiefs in the playoffs.
College Basketball Comparison #1: The Packers, Texans and Wichita State men’s basketball
Alright, here goes college the second mention of college basketball.
Prior to the 2012-13 season, Wichita State was a budding mid-major powerhouse. They’d won 23+ games over the previous three seasons, and they won 24 this time around to capture a No. 9 seed in the Big Dance. After taking down No. 8-seed Pittsburgh in the first round, they were playing with house money the rest of the way, and it turned into a memorable Cinderella run. Down went top-seeded Gonzaga, then fellow Cinderella La Salle, followed by No. 2 seeded Ohio State. In the span of a couple of weeks, the Shockers had shoc…nope, too easy. Move on.
In the Final Four, they met Louisville, the top overall seed in the tournament. Despite being double-digit underdogs, WSU led by double-digits in the second half…but lost by four. Although the defeat in the players’ eyes was a shoc..NO. QUENTIN. STOP. Anyways, my point is this: The future was extremely bright for the Shockers, who weren’t supposed to make it as far as they did. Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker, who would lead the Shockers to greater regular season success in the future, were just freshmen. Tekele Cotton, another eventual program cornerstone, was a sophomore.
There’s no guarantee that the Packers and Texans will continue trending up. But they not only made the top seeds in both conferences unexpectedly sweat it out for a chunk of this weekend, they’re still in the toddler stages of roster building. Stroud and Love just finished their first seasons as the primary starting quarterbacks. The Packers were the youngest team to make the playoffs in the past 49 years.10 Packers were targeted on Sunday – nine of them are on rookie contracts. Key contributors on Houston’s defense are still very young; Will Anderson, Derek Stingley Jr., Christian Harris and Jalen Pitre all have less than three years of professional experience. This could very easily be the start of something great in both Green Bay and Houston.
College Basketball Comparison #2: The Chiefs and Syracuse men’s basketball
Starting in 2016, it didn’t matter how the Orange made it to March Madness. As long as they made it, they’d do well. Their trademark Boeheim-ian 2-3 zone would suffocate opponents, and they’d look like a bunch of seasoned vets in the Big Dance.
In 2015-16, Syracuse should’ve never been invited to the Big Dance: they were 19-13, lost by double-digits to St. John’s (who went 1-17 in the Big East), dropped five of their last six games (including a loss in the first round of the ACC Tournament) and had the worst RPI of any team that’d ever made the tournament (72). The Ratings Power Index (RPI), a now-defunct stat that was canned in favor of NET rankings a few years ago, was made up of three components: A team’s winning percentage, average opponent’s winning percentage and average opponent’s opponent’s winning percentage. That season, the following teams had a higher RPI rating than Syracuse: IPFW, George Washington, William & Mary, Stony Brook, Hofstra, Monmouth, Chattanooga, Valparaiso, UNC Wilmington, Little Rock and Akron.
They made the Final Four.
In 2017-18, Syracuse finished 8-10 in ACC play, including losses to Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, the bottom two teams in the conference.
They made the Sweet Sixteen and lost to top-seeded Duke by just five.
In 2021, they finished 9-7 in ACC play, beat Bryant by one point and lost twice to Pittsburgh, who finished second-to-last in the conference.
They knocked off No. 6-seeded San Diego State and No. 3-seeded West Virginia en route to another Sweet Sixteen appearance.
In all three seasons, the Orange weren’t nearly as sweet as years past, years that saw them finish high atop the AP Poll and, in 2003, finish as the last ones standing. But all they needed was an opportunity, and when it was presented, they simply turned back into their peak selves.
The Chiefs might just be the same way. Their inevitability is inching closer to the level of death and taxes. Since Mahomes took the reins of Kansas City’s offense in 2018, this was easily the worst offensive unit he’s had at his disposal. Travis Kelce finally looked like he was on the wrong side of 30 for most of this season, yet he finished Sunday with five catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Despite having a porous collection of wide receivers, Mahomes still finished 17/23 for 215 and two touchdowns with no turnovers.
While Syracuse couldn’t reach the mountaintop, it’s become a less surprising reality that the Chiefs, these Chiefs, can.
Fine wine: Detroit’s 2023 draft class
Remember everyone collectively despised Detroit’s 2023 draft class? Which totally didn’t include some dumb college freshman who wrote scathing paragraphs about it? Ha. Haha. Hahaha.
The highlight on offense was Jahmyr Gibbs…hoo wee. After dunking on myself earlier, I’ll compliment myself to make things even. Right before last year’s draft, my draft comparison for Gibbs was lightning; infrequent, but stunning when it happens.
On Sunday, Gibbs was lightning. He only touched the ball 13 times against Tampa Bay, but he gained 114 yards. His top play saw him slash and dash right through the defense. First, Gibbs makes a jump cut into a wonderfully open hole created by Detroit’s offensive line. Then, he comes face-to-face with Antoine Winfiled Jr., who has a pretty good angle on Gibbs. It doesn’t matter. Gibbs engages in sixth gear, and despite Winfield taking a decent tackling angle, it doesn’t matter. Sayonara.
Sam LaPorta had nine catches for 65 yards, and Brian Branch tied with Ifeatu Melifonwu for the team lead in total tackles, which included a sack of Baker Mayfield. Seems like a pretty good draft to me.
The Le’Veon Bell Patience Award: Steven Sims
Normally, punt returners usually don’t have that much time to survey the field once they catch the ball. On most returns, if you stop, you turn yourself into a still red curtain for a charging bull to run through.
Luckily for Sims, he had time to spare and the mental wherewithal to stop himself from instinctively beelining forward. He let the Ravens punt coverage run into a V-formation, which actually wasn’t that surprising – the V is a common flying formation amongst birds that conserves energy.
Unfortunately, there was a gap at the bottom of the V, and that’s all Sims needed. After hitting the hole and escaping the grasp of Ravens punter Jordan Stout, Sims was gone.
Play call of the week
When all the Chiefs needed was a first down, they called upon the best person to blast through both the line of scrimmage and the cold: Isaiah Pacheco. Handoff up the middle, engage in rhino mode, game over.