The Shenoa Report
January 14, 2023
Super Wild Card Weekend
The Postseason is here! Did your team make it? Mine did! And I’m pretty stoked about it too! It’s been so long since my team has made it. I really don’t know what to expect, but I am excited and cautiously optimistic.
There are new playoff overtime rules. Just in case a game goes into overtime this postseason, know that the rules will be different. The main difference from last year is that a touchdown on first possession doesn’t end the game, the other team will still have a chance to go down and score. There will also be 15-minute periods instead of the 10-minute overtime period in the regular season. If the team that got the ball first doesn't score a touchdown, or if the score is tied after each team has possessed the ball, the next score would win. (If the team that possesses the ball first commits a safety on the initial possession, the kickoff team would win.) The rules changed after last season’s playoffs that included Buffalo’s divisional playoff loss at Kansas City when the Bills never got to possess the ball in overtime.
Now for some postseason fun facts. Patrick Mahomes will be the oldest AFC quarterback to start this postseason, he is only 27. We all know that the oldest quarterback in the NFC is Tom Brady at the age of 45. All four starting quarterbacks in Saturday’s wild-card games – Seattle’s Geno Smith, San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, Los Angeles’ Justin Herbert, and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence - are making their NFL postseason debuts.
I’m so excited for the playoffs! But before we talk more playoffs, let’s recap the final week of the regular season.
Last week all 32 teams had the option to show their support of Damar Hamlin. The NFL distributed a public address announcement that clubs were encouraged to read prior to the national anthem as a unified show of support for Damar, the first responders, and the medical caregivers. The announcement, accompanied by a scoreboard graphic of Damar was, "Throughout this week, the entire NFL family has been praying for Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills as he continues his recovery, and we thank the first responders and medical professionals involved in his care. The [CLUB NAME] ask you to join us in a moment of support and love for Damar, and cheer for him and his family as they continue their fight."
Teams were also allowed to outline the "3" in each 30-yard line number on the field in either Buffalo Bills Red or Buffalo Bills Blue. During warm-ups, players had the option to wear black Nike t-shirts displaying "Love for Damar 3" on them.
In Buffalo, During warm-ups, Bills players wore a similar Nike shirt but in the team's royal blue. Bills personnel got New Era hats embroidered with a "3" on them. "3" jersey patches were also worn by the Buffalo Bills in Week 18.
Week 18 was an amazing showing of support throughout the NFL for Damar and all the medical staff. It was touching and showed that there is still humanity in this world.
I went 11-5 in my picks. Here’s the recap of week 18.
Chiefs @ Raiders 31-13
The Chiefs had no problem dominating the Jarrett Stidham led Raiders. Patrick Mahomes was able to spread out the ball and keep the Raiders guessing. The Chiefs run game was the focus this week as there were 3 rushing touchdowns and only one passing. With this win the Chiefs locked up the number one seed, home field advantage, and a first round bye in the playoffs. The Raiders threw away their season when they benched Derek Carr.
Titans @ Jaguars 16-20
I really thought that the Titans were going to pull off an upset, and they almost did. The Titans were driving at the end of the game, needing a touchdown to take the lead but their inexperienced quarterback, Joshua Dobbs, was on a 3rd and 6 in which he fumbled the ball. Josh Allen picked it up for the Jags and ran it back for a defensive touchdown. And that ended the game for all practical purposes. The Jags squeaked into the playoffs with this win and the Titans playoff hopes vanished with the loss. Next up the Jags will host the LA Chargers.
Buccaneers @ Falcons 17-30
Tampa Bay already had everything locked so it really didn’t matter if they won or lost this game. So, they lost it. It wasn’t a pretty game, nor was it very entertaining. I think that the Bucs should’ve rested their starters, but what do I know? The Bucs will host the Cowboys next and the Falcons will potentially host the neutral site playoff game. Not the Falcons players, just the stadium.
Patriots @ Bills 23-35
There was an energy and buzz in Buffalo before the kickoff. Everyone was nervous, but excited about this game. There was a beautiful tribute for Damar and the medical personnel before the game, and the Bills knew that Damar was watching from his hospital bed in Cincinnati. The opening kickoff set the tone for the rest of the game. Nyheim Hines took the ball 96 yards for a touchdown. I don’t think there was a dry eye in Buffalo. I checked twitter to see if Damar Hamilin had commented on the first score. “OMFG!!!!!!” is all he said. Later we would find out that after that first score Damar had set off every alarm in the ICU. But not to worry, he was just excited for his team.
The game was back and forth, and the Patriots stayed in it as long as they could, but it was Buffalo that came out on top, kicking the Pats out of the postseason for only the 4th time in Bill Belichick’s 23 seasons of coaching New England.
Bills receiver John Brown, who scored on a 42-yard touchdown, honored assistant trainer Denny Kellington by handing him the game ball. Kellington is credited for his quick on-field response in performing CPR to get Hamlin’s heart beating again. Hines had another kick return for a touchdown in the second half, only the 11th player in NFL history to do so twice in a game. The last punt return for a touchdown for Buffalo was 3 years and 3 months ago. That stat really got to Josh Allen in the post game conference. He had to hold back tears. It’s been a stressful emotional week for that whole team. I’m just glad Damar is ok, and also that Buffalo got the win. Buffalo will host the Dolphins next week in the playoffs, and the Pats will watch from their couches.
Vikings @ Bears 29-13
The Vikings won this game, as I knew they would, and the Bears,by losing, get the first pick in the draft next season. So, a win for both teams? The Vikings will host the New York Football Giants during the first round of the playoffs.
Ravens @ Bengals 16-27
The Ravens had four turnovers in this loss to the Bengals. With this win the Bengals don’t have to worry about a coin flip to determine where they play next. (Up to this point, due to the cancellation of the Bills / Bengals game, the next game’s location would have been determined based on a coin flip.) Next week they will play the Ravens again at home. It’ll probably be a little like deja vu.
Texans @ Colts 32-31
I love Lovie Smith. I think he knew he was going to be fired after this game so why not screw the Texans out of the number one draft pick and actually win the game. Good call coach Smith! With less than a minute left in the game the Texans scored a touchdown and decided to go for the two point conversion and get the win. That’s exactly what they did. A touchdown pass from Davis Mills to Jordan Akins and then another pass from Mills to Akins for the two point conversion and the win. Also, the Colts lost. HAH!
Jets @ Dolphins 6-11
The Jets ended their season on a six game losing streak and the Dolphins won on a 50+ yard field goal. Their kicker, Jason Sanders, had just one successful field goal of 50-plus yards all season, it was only fitting that the Miami Dolphins' playoff hopes came down to a 50-yard kick and tacked on a safety for good measure. The Dolphins clinched a postseason berth for the first time since 2016. It’s not going to get any easier for the Dolphins as they head to Buffalo for Wild Card Weekend.
Panthers @ Saints 10-7
This game was boring and doesn’t warrant a recap.
Browns @ Steelers 14-28
The Steelers won the game but did not make it into the playoffs because the Jets couldn’t get the win. This win did help Coach Mike Tomlin keep his winning record streak alive. This was his 16th straight non-losing season with the Steelers. That’s a pretty impressive record.
NY Giants @ Eagles 16-22
OK. I knew we were going to lose. I knew that we were resting most of our starters and we’d play our 2nd and 3rd string players. I also knew that this was a must win for the Eagles and that Jalen Hurts, as well as all their other starters, would play and play for the win. I had my recipes all ready to go. I made King Arthur’s Cinnamon Crunch Coffee Cake and Claire Saffitz’s Apple Cake. What I didn’t anticipate was not being disappointed after the game. I mean, we didn’t look bad at all! Even Kenny Golladay got in the game AND scored a touchdown on a pass from Davis Webb?!?! The Eagles, on the other hand, were only 1 of 5 in the red zone — and their starters played the entire game. Yeah, we lost to the Eagles, but really, if you’re a Giants fan, you should be proud of the way the backups handled this game. Kudos to them. Go G-Men!
With this win the Eagles locked up the number one seed, home field advantage, and a first round bye in the playoffs. The Giants will head to Minnesota next for their first playoff appearance this decade.
Cowboys @ Commanders 6-26
The Cowboys got walloped! It was great to see! Sorry not sorry. The Cowboys are heading to Tampa Bay next and the Commanders are done for the season.
Chargers @ Broncos 28-31
The Chargers knew they were in the playoffs before the game even started, so why they decided to play their starters for so long is beyond me. Head coach Brandon Staley's decision to keep his players sharp in an otherwise meaningless game was the wrong decision in my opinion. Wide receiver Mike Williams was carted off the field with a back injury and linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. suffered a stinger. Joey Bosa, who just returned from a groin injury last month, was limping along the sideline after a sack he made. He was also out for the rest of the game.
On the other side of the field Russell Wilson and the Broncos had their best game of the season. Wilson had three touchdown passes and was throwing bombs throughout the game. It was good to see Russell look like vintage Wilson again. Although the Broncos season is over they ended on a high note. The Chargers will travel to Jacksonville next to see if they can win a game in the postseason.
Cardinals @ 49ers 13-38
The 49ers are dangerous. Brock Purdy had three passing touchdowns in this massacre over the Cardinals. It was J.J. Watt’s last NFL game. He had two sacks on Purdy so it was a good day for him, but it wasn’t a good day for the rest of the Cardinals. Kliff Kingsburry was relieved of his head coaching position after the loss. The 49ers will host the Seahawks next and the Cardinals will be working on rebuilding, for awhile.
Rams @ Seahawks 16-19 OT
The Seahawks were the lucky S.O.B.’s this week and they had a lot of help from the officiating. Adam Schefter has a whole article about the missed/blown/and non calls from this game that gave the win to the Seahawks. If you are interested, you should check it out.
To have any chance at the postseason the Seahawks needed a win and Green Bay to lose. Both things, as unlikely as it seemed, happened. Seattle’s kicker Jason Myers missed a game winning field goal on the final play of regulation which sent the game into overtime. But he got redemption when he kicked a 32-yard field goal midway through overtime to give Seattle the win. The Seahawks head to San Francisco next and the Rams are just glad the season is over.
Lions @ Packers 20-16
Although the Lions didn’t get into the postseason, neither did the Packers and I’ll take that as a win. The Packers were up by 3 and had all the momentum heading into the 4th quarter and it looked like they would win the game. Until, midway through the fourth quarter when the Lions put together a long drive. With 7:55 left in the game, Jarred Goff threw a short pass to D’Andre Swift. Swift was injured during the play and the medical staff came onto the field. Green Bay’s linebacker Quay Walker decided to shove one of the Lions’ medical personnel instead of just moving out of the way so he could do his job. I thought to myself, what in the world?! After this past week when all medical staff were highlighted for saving the life of Damar Hamilin on the field you are going to shove one of them?! Needless to say Walker drew a penalty that put the Lions on GB’s 4 yard line and gave them first and goal. Walker was also ejected from the game, and rightfully so. Jamaal Williams then scored a rushing touchdown to put the Lions ahead by 4. When the Packers got the ball back they did start to drive to keep their playoff hopes alive. With 3:37 left in the game on a 3rd and 10 Aaron Rodgers dropped back and threw a deep pass intended for Christian Watson. Only it was INTERCEPTED by Lions defender Kyle Joseph. And that my friends pretty much ended the game and crushed the hopes of an Aaron Rodgers postseason run. Hooray for the Lions.
SUPER WILDCARD WEEKEND
Saturday, January 14th
Seahawks (9-8) @ 49ers (13-4) (4:30pm FOX)
Weather might just be a factor for this game. In the past couple of weeks California has gotten all the rain. There has been major flooding and mudslides and there isn’t an end in sight. San Francisco is supposed to get another ½ inch of rain on Saturday. It’s a good thing the 49ers have such a good run game. Fun Fact: the Niners will be the 25th team in the Super Bowl era to sweep two games against an opponent in regular season and play them again in playoffs. Those previous teams went 14-10 in the third meeting in the playoff, including the loss by the 49ers to the Rams last season on the road. But teams that hosted the third game had a 13-6 record. The 49ers are so much more dangerous this season and the Rams aren’t even in the picture this time around. I am picking the 49ers to win this game. I think that’s a no brainer.
Chargers (10-7) @ Jaguars (9-8) (8:15pm NBC)
I think the Chargers are pretty banged up (Mike Williams has already been ruled out with a back injury and will not play) and the Jags seem to be firing on all cylinders. I’m picking the Jags to win this game.
Sunday, January 15th
Dolphins (9-8) @ Bills (13-3) (1pm CBS)
Well, the Dolphins have lost nine straight games when playing outdoors in temperatures lower than 40 degrees. It’s supposed to be a high of 31 on Sunday in Buffalo. Also, Tua Tagovailoa will not play and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is dealing with a dislocated finger. I really don’t think the Dolphins have a chance at winning this game. The Bills will continue to rally around Damar Hamlin and dedicate each game to him. I’m rooting for and picking the Bills to win this game. GO BILLS! Special shoutout to the biggest Bills Fan I know, Uncle Steve!
NY Giants (9-7-1) @ Vikings (13-4) (4:30pm FOX)
The NY Football Giants have made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016!!!!! They haven't had a postseason victory since their Super Bowl championship 11 years ago. They are the underdogs in this game and that’s how I like it. I think that’s how they like it too. That underdog mentality worked for them in ‘07 and again in ‘11 when we went and won the Super Bowl! The Giants know the Vikings well, having just played them in week 16. The Giants should’ve won that game, but they will win this game and I am picking them to do so. GO G-MEN!!!!!!
Ravens (10-7) @ Bengals (12-4) (8:15pm NBC)
The Bengals and Ravens will play for the second consecutive week — and third time this season. The Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson who is still out with a knee injury and backup Tyler Huntley is dealing with a sore shoulder, so rookie Anthony Brown will get his first NFL start. All that said I think that the Bengals are clearly the better team and I am picking them to win this game.
Monday, January 16th
Cowboys (12-5) @ Buccaneers (8-9) (8:15pm ABC/ESPN/ESPN+)
The Cowboys are favored to win this game but Dallas hasn’t won a postseason game on the road since the 1992 playoffs. And the Cowboys have never beaten Brady, who is 7-0 against them, including wins with Tampa Bay in the past two season openers. If I were a betting person my money would be on Tom Brady. I am picking the Bucs to win this game, mostly because I don’t want to see the Cowboys win anymore this season.
GO G-MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the edit Eric!
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