By TJ Troup 
Harry Longabaugh is at the poker table in Wyoming (probably Kaycee), and Mr. Macon asks him the title of this week's saga, and Harry (The Sundance Kid) responds with "prayer".
Not sure how much prayer is going to be needed for Championship Sunday, yet there are folks that are poised under pressure—The Sundance Kid, and can deliver when called upon.
Which players deliver under pressure on Championship Sunday? Buffalo has been playing the Texans/Chiefs since 1960, and 64 years later they confront each other with a Silver Trophy berth on the line.
So many directions we can go with the keys to the game, yet Sunday evening will be compelling drama. Philadelphia and Washington have played 175 times in the regular season, with many of the games being not only entertaining but also key in the division race.
The only time they played in the postseason Gibbs outcoached Ryan and Buddy was dismissed. Doubtful that either Siriani or Quinn is dismissed after this game. So many great players in this series, yet Sammy Baugh remains for me Mr. Redskin!
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| Sammy Baugh in 1937 NFL Championship Game |
Since I mentioned his name; will begin a narrative concerning John Keim at ESPN.
Don't know the man, but can tell you he should be dismissed for the following statement he made: ready? "Jayden Daniels becomes the sixth rookie QB to reach a Championship Game, the other five all lost".
Possibly Mr. Keim got bit in the butt by a horned frog? Possibly he dislikes the name Sam? Possibly he is not capable of doing research, or sadly he believes football started in 1970?
Baugh's rookie season and his performance against the Bears in the title game was awesome. Then we have Mr. Bob Waterfield in '45 and the Rams of Cleveland.
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| Rookie Bob Waterfield, after 1945 NFL Championship Game |
Will John Keim read this article? Will he be employed tomorrow? He is welcome to come to my film room (den) and watch film of Baugh and Waterfield.
Rather than discuss who has already gotten head coaching positions; will attempt to elicit responses from you folks for Dan Campbell and the soon-to-be-vacant defensive coordinator position in Detroit.
Philosophically do not trust or respect Aaron Glenn in Detroit, and if he does in fact leave? Who should replace him? Robert Saleh was born in Dearborn, played tight end at Northern Michigan, and believe would be an immediate success with the Lions! Just one man's opinion.
Finally will end with a stat. Since 1970 the team that scores the first TOUCHDOWN on Sunday wins a very high percentage of the time.
How high you ask? AFC from 1970 through 1989 15-5, NFC same time period 19-0 (Rams kicked 3 FGs in '79).
From 1990 through last year AFC 25-9, and NFC 20-14. The total: 79-28, thus a 73.8% chance of winning on Sunday for the team that scores the first touchdown,...the hell with field goals in this game.
See ya 'round campus.
BW ...
ReplyDeleteSome good divisional games this weekend and the teams that got away from their running games--Texans, Lions--lost. The turnover battle also killed the Ravens, Lions and Rams.
For TJ or John ... has there ever been NFL players that had as many MVP awards as postseason wins? Could Lamar Jackson be the only one?
I know Gabriel won the award but didnt win a postseason game. There may be others like him?
Philly has a tough defense, but Daniels threw for 5 TDs in their last matchup. Can the Eagles get back Mitchell and use the run game to keep Daniels off the field? Will the elements play a factor?
Can the Bills defense finally contain Mahomes and Kelce? Hollywood Brown might be a factor as well.
Due to the veteran leadership on the Commanders team, I predict they upset the Eagles.
Once again, like last year, I feel the Bills will beat the Chiefs.
curious T.J. what don't you like Aaron Glenn? He is going to be Jets new coach. As a Jets fan, is this a bad hire?
ReplyDeleteBW ...
DeleteCoach, you told me that the Lions had one of the best defensive ratings against the pass this year, after mostly mediocrity, did you not like Glenn's scheme or calls against the Commanders or in general? I thought the Jets would go for an offensive coach, myself.
I don't have an opinion on Glenn, but since you're a Jets fan, I would like your opinion on the possibilities of him being successful.....I'm neither for nor against the franchise, but for decades it's been a coaches' graveyard due to the ownership.....I can't envision a winning culture being developed as long as current ownership (worst in league now that Snyder is gone?) continues.....would appreciate it if you could show the weaknesses/fallacies of my observations and how the Jets can "turn it around".....thanks
DeleteAdam Gase was available. The Jets could have brought him back. He is an offensive wizard.
DeleteThat was sarcasm.
I never have understood the hiring an offensive coach to be the head coach for the sake of the sake of the guy having been from the offensive side.
Are you hiring a head coach or an offensive coordinator with the title of head coach? If you are hiring a head coach, then he is being hired to coach the entire team which means coaching the coaches and making the key in game decisions such as when to go for it on 4th down and when to punt or kick a field goal.
I hope that Glenn is not fixated on defense like Todd Bowles and Robert Saleh were. I hope he is like Sean McDermott who was previously a defensive coordinator but now coaches an entire team.
As for the Jets owner, yeah, he seems to be a rich fool but the team used to make the playoffs with him as the owner. It can be done again. The problem was the team had a series of bad head coaches. Even the last decent one (Rex Ryan) was too fixated on one side of the ball. Once the GMs let the offensive personnel go to hell, that stopped the playoff appearances.
As for this nonsense about the last Lions game and this idea that Glenn proved he stinks, McDermott could not get the job done against the corpse of Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl and then he panned out as a head coach.
Joe Gibbs had a not great final game as an offensive coordinator. I would say he did well after that.
Last season Dan Quinn had no answers in the playoff game vs Green Bay. From the chatter I heard this week about Glenn's final game with the Lions, you would think he should go be a stockpot in Target now. Quinn should be flipping burgers now. But no. One game doesn't undo a whole bunch of other games. Smart people realized Quinn was worth another shot as a head coach.
Nice work, Coach!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the article. Keim is a wonderful local reporter covering the Commanders. He is our best source of information on the team and a gem of a human being. He was simply being inarticulate and/or talking in short hand. He is well aware of Sammy Baugh and his critical importance to the franchise. Incidently, as Keim and Bram Weinstein (the voice of the Commanders) just mentioned. It has been 33 years since the Commanders were in NFC Championship--an important number in the history of the franchise since it was Sammy Baugh's jersey number. Maybe we'll have a little mystical numerology helping out the team this weekend.
ReplyDeleteBW ...
DeleteKeim probably excluded Baugh and Waterfield because he was talking about conference championship games, since no rookie since Waterfield has quarterbacked an actual SB/NFL Championship Game.
John Turney actually had the full list on PFRA website, if anyone hasnt seen it.