The Shenoa Report
January 21, 2023
Divisional Round
There are just 8 teams left, three of which are from the NFC East. This weekend is the divisional round and there are only games on Saturday and Sunday. We are nearing the end. Is your team still in it? Mine is! I’ve not been able to say that since 2011! Fingers crossed I’ll be able to say it again next week!
Before we get into the divisional round let’s recap the games from last week. I went 5-1 in my picks, thanks a lot Tom Brady.
Seahawks @ 49ers 23-41
At the end of the first half I was questioning my pick. The Seahawks didn’t look bad and actually had the lead going into half time. Then the second half started and the 49ers put the pedal to the floor and never let off the gas. This was more of what I expected during the first half. Next up the 49ers will host the Cowboys and the Seahawks will host things from their living rooms.
Chargers @ Jaguars 30-31
This game was a tale of two halves. The Chargers led the Jags 27-0 in the first half and Trevor Lawrence threw 4 interceptions. It was down right ugly. I thought for sure I got the pick wrong. I was also upset because I wanted the Chargers to lose after the way their head coach messed up coaching the last two games. For the Jags, this was the most improbable win. Even though they were discouraged they didn’t give up. With less than a minute to go before halftime Lawrence started to turn his team around with a touchdown pass to Evan Engram. In the second half Trevor added three more touchdowns and the Jags defense held the Chargers to just a field goal. It was pretty incredible. I was happy because I went 2-0 on Saturday with my picks. The Jags are heading Kansas City next, and they’ll need all the luck they can muster.
Dolphins @ Bills 31-34
I’m pretty sure the Bills looked past this game, and hopefully they’ve learned from this mistake. Yes, they still won the game but they didn’t look great doing so. The Dolphins had to start their third string rookie QB Skylar Thompson because Tua Tagovailoa and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater were ruled out due to injury. Skylar’s dad drove 15 hours from Missouri to Buffalo to see his son’s first start. The Dolphins kept pace the entire game and the Bills struggled. Josh Allen had 3 turnovers, one of which was a fumble returned for a touchdown by Zach Sieler 61 seconds into the third quarter to put the Dolphins up 24-20. I think that was actually the Bills wakeup call. After that Allen threw two touchdown passes over a span of 3 minutes and 11 seconds which put the Bills up by 10. The Dolphins did their best to come back with a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game within 3 points. But that’s where it ended. The Bills defense stopped Miami as they turned the ball over on downs on their final possession to give the Bills the win. The Bills advance to the divisional round and host Cincinnati on Sunday.
NY Giants @ Vikings 31-24
I knew we could do it! And we did! The Giants beat the Vikings! Woot! The Vikings started off strong, scoring on their first drive. This did not sit well with me. Alright boys, answer back, is what I thought. They did. Saquon Barkley had his first touchdown of the postseason. On the Vikings next possession they did not score, in fact they didn’t score again until the end of the second quarter! The Giants scored 3 times in the first half and led going into half time. In the first half Danny had a passing touchdown to Isaiah Hodgins and Graham Gano had a field goal. We got the ball first in the second half and marched down the field. Daniel Bellinger caught a 9-yard pass from Danny Jones to score a touchdown on the opening drive. Midway through the quarter the Vikings answered back with another touchdown. In the fourth quarter the Vikings tied the game with a field goal. So, of course, the Giants answered back with Barkley’s second rushing touchdown of the day. After that the defense stepped up and put Minnesota’s playoff advancement to bed by swarming tight end T.J. Hockenson at midfield on fourth-and-8 to force a turnover on downs with 1:44 to go and no timeouts left for the Vikings. Danny was able to kneel it out to end the game. Speaking of Jones, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to hit these thresholds in a postseason game: 300-plus yards passing, two-plus passing touchdowns, and 70-plus yards rushing. That is quite the accomplishment. Next the Giants head on down to Philadelphia to take on division rival Eagles.
Ravens @ Bengals 17-24
The Bengals got super lucky or the Ravens got super unlucky. This game was back and forth and by the fourth quarter it really looked like the Ravens were going to win the game. With 12 minutes left in the game the Ravens were facing third-and-goal at the 1 yard line. QB Tyler Huntley tried to go over the top of the line for the go-ahead score but fumbled the ball which went right to defensive end Sam Hubbard. Hubbard returned Huntley's fumble 98 yards for a tie-breaking touchdown. Baltimore tried to tie the game up once more late in the 4th but Huntley threw incomplete to the end zone on the final play. So the Ravens are done with the post season and the Bengals travel to Buffalo to continue their hopes to another Super Bowl run.
Cowboys @ Buccaneers 31-14
This game was dumb. The Cowboys are dumb and the Bucs receivers are also dumb.
Obviously, I wanted the Bucs to win this game. It’ll probably be the last time we see Tom Brady in a Bucs uniform and perhaps on the field of play at all. Nothing went right for Tampa Bay and almost everything went the right way for the Cowboys. About the only thing that went wrong for them was their kicker. Brett Maher missed his first four extra points, becoming the first player in NFL history to miss that many in a game. Maher finally converted on his fifth attempt after coach Mike McCarthy decided against sending him out to try a field goal from roughly the same distance as a PAT. The Cowboys are now heading to San Francisco to take on the 49ers.
DIVISIONAL WEEKEND
Saturday, January 21st
Jaguars @ Chiefs (4:30pm NBC)
After last week I am not going to say that the Jags have no chance at winning this game. I mean, they came back from a 27 point deficit. I will say that the Chiefs aren’t the Chargers so if the Jags do fall down 27 they probably won’t come back and win this game. The Chiefs are fresh off their bye and ready to win. Andy Reid, Chiefs head coach, is historically really good after a bye and I don’t see that ending against the Jags. Hopefully Reid didn’t share many of his winning secrets as the Jags head coach Doug Pederson used to coach with Reid when they were both in Philadelphia. I am picking the Chiefs to win this game, I’m just hoping it's a good one.
NY Giants @ Eagles (8:15pm NBC)
First of all, considering the last two seasons, I’m still in shock and amazement that the Giants won more than 3 games this season. Now, to see that we are still in the playoffs is pretty mind blowing. Brian Daboll has truly changed this team for the better and should absolutely be coach of the year. Anyway, I’m going to preface this by saying, I’m a delusional Giants fan. I think the Giants can and will win this game. There I said it. I’m picking the Giants to win this game. Philly can bring on the double birds, we’re ready! I’m not going to say much else, as I don’t think there is much else that needs to be said. GO G-MEN!!!
Sunday, January 22nd
Bengals @ Bills (3pm CBS)
This game is going to be emotional. It’s going to be tense. It’s going to get chippy. I don’t have to recap what happened the last time these two teams met up. I will say that the actions that followed gave the Bengals a chip on their shoulder. Because the game was canceled, the best the Bengals could rank in the AFC was the 3rd seed even though they beat the Chiefs during the regular season. They were beating the Bills too before the game was canceled. The Bengals are also the underdogs coming into this game; the Bills are favored according to Vegas. Last week I think that both teams looked past their opponent. This week I don’t think that’s the case. I’m picking the Bills to win this game and I am cheering for them as well. I’m pretty sure Damar Hamlin will be at the game which could be the added boost the Bills need to secure the W. GO BILLS!
Cowboys @ 49ers (6:30pm FOX)
The Cowboys looked pretty dominant last week, but I think this is where the road ends for them. The 49ers are a different kind of beast and I am picking them to win this game.
GO G-MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! (isn’t it cool I still get to type this!)
Thanks for the edit Eric!
At the end of the first half I was questioning my pick. The Seahawks didn’t look bad and actually had the lead going into half time. Then the second half started and the 49ers put the pedal to the floor and never let off the gas. This was more of what I expected during the first half. Next up the 49ers will host the Cowboys and the Seahawks will host things from their living rooms.
Chargers @ Jaguars 30-31
This game was a tale of two halves. The Chargers led the Jags 27-0 in the first half and Trevor Lawrence threw 4 interceptions. It was down right ugly. I thought for sure I got the pick wrong. I was also upset because I wanted the Chargers to lose after the way their head coach messed up coaching the last two games. For the Jags, this was the most improbable win. Even though they were discouraged they didn’t give up. With less than a minute to go before halftime Lawrence started to turn his team around with a touchdown pass to Evan Engram. In the second half Trevor added three more touchdowns and the Jags defense held the Chargers to just a field goal. It was pretty incredible. I was happy because I went 2-0 on Saturday with my picks. The Jags are heading Kansas City next, and they’ll need all the luck they can muster.
Dolphins @ Bills 31-34
I’m pretty sure the Bills looked past this game, and hopefully they’ve learned from this mistake. Yes, they still won the game but they didn’t look great doing so. The Dolphins had to start their third string rookie QB Skylar Thompson because Tua Tagovailoa and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater were ruled out due to injury. Skylar’s dad drove 15 hours from Missouri to Buffalo to see his son’s first start. The Dolphins kept pace the entire game and the Bills struggled. Josh Allen had 3 turnovers, one of which was a fumble returned for a touchdown by Zach Sieler 61 seconds into the third quarter to put the Dolphins up 24-20. I think that was actually the Bills wakeup call. After that Allen threw two touchdown passes over a span of 3 minutes and 11 seconds which put the Bills up by 10. The Dolphins did their best to come back with a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game within 3 points. But that’s where it ended. The Bills defense stopped Miami as they turned the ball over on downs on their final possession to give the Bills the win. The Bills advance to the divisional round and host Cincinnati on Sunday.
NY Giants @ Vikings 31-24
I knew we could do it! And we did! The Giants beat the Vikings! Woot! The Vikings started off strong, scoring on their first drive. This did not sit well with me. Alright boys, answer back, is what I thought. They did. Saquon Barkley had his first touchdown of the postseason. On the Vikings next possession they did not score, in fact they didn’t score again until the end of the second quarter! The Giants scored 3 times in the first half and led going into half time. In the first half Danny had a passing touchdown to Isaiah Hodgins and Graham Gano had a field goal. We got the ball first in the second half and marched down the field. Daniel Bellinger caught a 9-yard pass from Danny Jones to score a touchdown on the opening drive. Midway through the quarter the Vikings answered back with another touchdown. In the fourth quarter the Vikings tied the game with a field goal. So, of course, the Giants answered back with Barkley’s second rushing touchdown of the day. After that the defense stepped up and put Minnesota’s playoff advancement to bed by swarming tight end T.J. Hockenson at midfield on fourth-and-8 to force a turnover on downs with 1:44 to go and no timeouts left for the Vikings. Danny was able to kneel it out to end the game. Speaking of Jones, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to hit these thresholds in a postseason game: 300-plus yards passing, two-plus passing touchdowns, and 70-plus yards rushing. That is quite the accomplishment. Next the Giants head on down to Philadelphia to take on division rival Eagles.
Ravens @ Bengals 17-24
The Bengals got super lucky or the Ravens got super unlucky. This game was back and forth and by the fourth quarter it really looked like the Ravens were going to win the game. With 12 minutes left in the game the Ravens were facing third-and-goal at the 1 yard line. QB Tyler Huntley tried to go over the top of the line for the go-ahead score but fumbled the ball which went right to defensive end Sam Hubbard. Hubbard returned Huntley's fumble 98 yards for a tie-breaking touchdown. Baltimore tried to tie the game up once more late in the 4th but Huntley threw incomplete to the end zone on the final play. So the Ravens are done with the post season and the Bengals travel to Buffalo to continue their hopes to another Super Bowl run.
Cowboys @ Buccaneers 31-14
This game was dumb. The Cowboys are dumb and the Bucs receivers are also dumb.
Obviously, I wanted the Bucs to win this game. It’ll probably be the last time we see Tom Brady in a Bucs uniform and perhaps on the field of play at all. Nothing went right for Tampa Bay and almost everything went the right way for the Cowboys. About the only thing that went wrong for them was their kicker. Brett Maher missed his first four extra points, becoming the first player in NFL history to miss that many in a game. Maher finally converted on his fifth attempt after coach Mike McCarthy decided against sending him out to try a field goal from roughly the same distance as a PAT. The Cowboys are now heading to San Francisco to take on the 49ers.
DIVISIONAL WEEKEND
Saturday, January 21st
Jaguars @ Chiefs (4:30pm NBC)
After last week I am not going to say that the Jags have no chance at winning this game. I mean, they came back from a 27 point deficit. I will say that the Chiefs aren’t the Chargers so if the Jags do fall down 27 they probably won’t come back and win this game. The Chiefs are fresh off their bye and ready to win. Andy Reid, Chiefs head coach, is historically really good after a bye and I don’t see that ending against the Jags. Hopefully Reid didn’t share many of his winning secrets as the Jags head coach Doug Pederson used to coach with Reid when they were both in Philadelphia. I am picking the Chiefs to win this game, I’m just hoping it's a good one.
NY Giants @ Eagles (8:15pm NBC)
First of all, considering the last two seasons, I’m still in shock and amazement that the Giants won more than 3 games this season. Now, to see that we are still in the playoffs is pretty mind blowing. Brian Daboll has truly changed this team for the better and should absolutely be coach of the year. Anyway, I’m going to preface this by saying, I’m a delusional Giants fan. I think the Giants can and will win this game. There I said it. I’m picking the Giants to win this game. Philly can bring on the double birds, we’re ready! I’m not going to say much else, as I don’t think there is much else that needs to be said. GO G-MEN!!!
Sunday, January 22nd
Bengals @ Bills (3pm CBS)
This game is going to be emotional. It’s going to be tense. It’s going to get chippy. I don’t have to recap what happened the last time these two teams met up. I will say that the actions that followed gave the Bengals a chip on their shoulder. Because the game was canceled, the best the Bengals could rank in the AFC was the 3rd seed even though they beat the Chiefs during the regular season. They were beating the Bills too before the game was canceled. The Bengals are also the underdogs coming into this game; the Bills are favored according to Vegas. Last week I think that both teams looked past their opponent. This week I don’t think that’s the case. I’m picking the Bills to win this game and I am cheering for them as well. I’m pretty sure Damar Hamlin will be at the game which could be the added boost the Bills need to secure the W. GO BILLS!
Cowboys @ 49ers (6:30pm FOX)
The Cowboys looked pretty dominant last week, but I think this is where the road ends for them. The 49ers are a different kind of beast and I am picking them to win this game.
GO G-MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! (isn’t it cool I still get to type this!)
Thanks for the edit Eric!
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