Chris Myers
Announcer, reporter and play-by-play studio host
Editor’s Note: During the NFL playoffs, Chris Myers and his analysis staff analyze upcoming matchups, whereas offering information, notes and knowledge for inside entry to info that an NFL broadcaster makes use of to arrange to name a sport.
A LOOK AT THE AFC MATCHES
(4) Houston Texans at (1) Kansas City Chiefs – Saturday, 4:30 PM ET (ESPN/ABC)
The Texans have performed 13 postseason video games since 2011, solely six groups have extra (the Eagles may also play their 14th sport in that span this weekend). Would it shock you that the groups with the fewest postseason video games performed embody the Steelers, Bills, Rams and the upstate rival Cowboys?
After beating the Chargers, the Texans have six postseason wins since 2011 – solely eight groups have extra. The Bills, Bengals and Buccaneers even have six.
Under DeMeco Ryans, the Texans have 22 whole wins (common season and postseason) because the begin of 2023 — solely 5 groups, topped by the Chiefs with 30, have had extra.
Whatever occurs this postseason, the Chiefs have additional positioned themselves because the “D” phrase of our time with a 15-win season. This is the tenth consecutive season Kansas City has reached double digits in common season wins. In every of their final six, they’ve at the very least reached the convention championship sport. With a win in opposition to the Texans, they are going to be inside hanging distance of the NFL file of eight consecutive convention championship sport appearances set by the Patriots between 2011 and 2018 (the 12 months Kansas City’s present run started).
Over the final 10 years, the Chiefs have gained 139 video games (common season and postseason). With a win Saturday, they might be 14 on the 12 months for a decade, simply eclipsing the subsequent staff in line, the Bills, who at the moment have 107.
The Chiefs turned 8.5-point favorites over the division champion, a quantity they coated simply 4 instances in 17 common season video games. That’s virtually precisely the margin by which they beat the Texans, 27-19, on Christmas Day.
It ought to be mentioned that within the historical past of the NFL, 37 groups have gained 14 or extra video games. Only one, the 2024 Chiefs at +59, failed to succeed in a constructive level differential of +100. This 12 months’s staff is actually fortunate or actually good at profitable.
CHRIS MYERS’ ANALYSIS: “Over the previous decade, the Chiefs have developed from a staff that outruns you with one of many biggest offenses within the sport to a staff that wins tight video games in bunches with distinctive protection and clutch scoring. I This 12 months’s Chiefs have performed 11 one-score video games and gained all of them. Homes and the Chiefs are like pizza… even when it is dangerous, it is nonetheless good.
“The Texans will battle onerous and will shock with a robust run and a giant sport from QB C.J. Stroud, however how are you going to not anticipate Kansas City to emerge victorious in the long run? Andy Reid, a Hall of Fame coach, all the time has the Chiefs are able to play and can look no additional than Houston. The AFC championship sport is scheduled to happen in Kansas City for the sixth time within the final seven years.”
(3) Baltimore Ravens at (2) Buffalo Bills – Sunday, 6:30 pm ET (CBS)
This is the sixth straight season that Buffalo has made the postseason, and Baltimore has joined the Bills in 5 of them. But the groups have solely met as soon as in that span: Buffalo’s 17-3 dwelling win within the 2020 divisional spherical, a sport wherein Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson left the sport with a concussion . It was the one time Sean McDermott’s Bills superior to the AFC Championship Game.
With his huge sport final week, Ravens operating again Derrick Henry pushed his prolonged season speeding whole (common and postseason) to 2,107, a profession excessive. He had 2,067 in 2020 for the Titans. It’s the ninth-best extended-season whole all-time and, with 106 yards on Sunday, shall be third behind Terrell Davis simply two seasons. However, it is not the perfect whole this season, the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley is now at 2,124.
CHRIS MYERS ANALYSIS: “This is the massive matchup of the weekend, a real heavyweight battle between the 2 main contenders for the NFL MVP award, Lamar Jackson of the Ravens and Josh Allen of the Bills. Each is a runner and good passer who elevates their offensive teammates Both groups have elite runners in Derrick Henry and James Cook, with succesful, however not otherworldly, receivers.
“Although each groups defended nicely final week, neither staff was dominant. The Bills are common in opposition to each the run and the cross, whereas Baltimore shut down the run whereas permitting the third-most passing yards .This sport ought to finish with each groups at the very least within the 20s, and possibly increased.
“Rightly or wrongly, this shall be a career-defining sport for each quarterbacks. The MVP votes have already been tallied, however I feel the winner of this sport shall be thought-about the actual MVP, particularly if he performs brilliantly.
“The Ravens is likely to be the marginally higher staff, however Buffalo has the weather and the group. The Bills are 6-2 at dwelling within the postseason below Sean McDermott, however John Harbaugh has gained eight postseason street video games in his time with the Ravens. At dwelling, Josh Allen is likely to be the MVP.”
AND IN NFC…
(6) Washington Commanders at (1) Detroit Lions – Saturday, 8pm ET (FOX)
Last 12 months, the Lions completed an 0-9 run in postseason play courting again to the 1991-92 playoffs, with wins over the Buccaneers and Rams.
Last week, Washington ended an 0-5 playoff run courting again to January 2006 with a win over the Buccaneers.
The Lions try to get again to the NFC Championship Game after dropping to the 49ers final 12 months. Detroit’s solely earlier NFCCG look got here in 1991. The Lions are the one NFC staff that has by no means gained an NFC Championship sport or appeared in a Super Bowl. Between 1935 and 1957, the Lions gained 4 NFL championship video games.
Washington has appeared within the NFC Championship Game six instances, however not since 1992. All different NFC groups have appeared extra just lately (the subsequent longest drought is that of the Cowboys, who had been final to win the NFC title in 1995).
The game-winning drive in opposition to Tampa Bay final week marked the fifth game-winning drive of the prolonged season for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders acquired a sixth GWD from Marcus Mariota in Week 18 at Dallas.
The Lions start the postseason with a streak of 15 consecutive video games with 20+ factors. They tied the NFL file with six video games wherein they scored greater than 40 factors. If they did it once more, they might match the 1994 49ers and 2011 Saints with the file of seven for an prolonged season.
Jared Goff has now joined Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as the one quarterbacks to steer two totally different franchises to seasons of 13 or extra wins. He is the sixth man to throw greater than 100 landing passes for a number of franchises.
CHRIS MYERS ANALYSIS: “After spending time with Jayden Daniels this season calling Commanders video games, we noticed early on that he was already forward and has grown much more. He lives for the strain level and I feel he’ll thrive even when the moments get greater within the NFL postseason If you are ready for the rookie to blow up… you will should hold ready.
“But how are you going to not be impressed by Jared Goff’s progress throughout his time with the Lions? He’s performed in a whole lot of huge video games and often places in excellent performances. And he may need much more weapons to work with than Daniels.
“Teams have seen the success that the 2 Coach Dans have dropped at downtrodden franchises. First, Dan Campbell of the Lions and now Dan Quinn with the Commanders have virtually instantly used distinctive communication abilities to take management of rotten conditions and set up a strong basis. And they each consider in controlling the ball with modern offenses and daring methods, particularly on fourth down.
“I actually assume Commanders have an ideal probability if they’ll slim down the sport with ball management and keep inside hanging distance. They weren’t anticipated to be right here, they’ve an ideal file in essential moments and are actually enjoying with membership cash. dwelling. That mentioned, the Lions have confronted virtually each problem in these two years and I do not assume they’ll finally disappoint their dwelling followers.”
(4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Philadelphia Eagles – Sunday, 3pm ET (NBC)
The Rams (27) and Eagles (26) rank sixth and seventh amongst NFL groups in postseason wins, respectively. At 26-26, the Eagles are precisely .500 in postseason play of their historical past, whereas the Rams are actually 27-28 (.491).
The Rams’ finest spherical was within the divisionals with a file of 11-6. They are 2-1 below Sean McVay in divisional play, win the NFC Championship Game and advance to the Super Bowl after each earlier wins.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is the lively chief with 52 game-winning drives within the common season and postseason, together with 5 this season.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts put collectively a powerful whole of 55 speeding touchdowns in 66 video games because the beginning QB. Of these, 33 coated only one yard, as did two of his 5 postseason touchdowns.
On November 24, Eagles operating again Saquon Barkley amassed 302 yards from scrimmage (255 speeding, 47 receiving) in Philadelphia’s 37-20 win over the Rams. It’s the best whole of the season and the tenth better of all time. There has by no means been a 300-yard scrimmage sport in an NFL postseason sport (Keith Lincoln of the Chargers had 329 within the 1963 AFC Championship Game). The postseason file for a operating again is 244 scrimmage yards set by Eric Dickerson of the Rams in 1985.
When an NFL operating again accumulates greater than 200 scrimmage yards in a postseason sport, his groups are 16-1.
CHRIS MYERS ANALYSIS: “The NFC North has been the perfect division in soccer this 12 months, however each groups dismantled two of its representatives final week. With Saquon Barkley cooking behind their nice line, the Eagles will not they needed to cross the ball rather a lot to beat Green Bay. They have the flexibility to cross, and so they might should show it this week in opposition to the Rams’ much-improved protection.
“The Eagles gained the common season sport between these groups in late November when Barkley ran wild. The Rams have gained all six video games they’ve tried to win since then. The protection has improved, but it surely’s improved sufficient to include Barkley? If so, it’s, Matthew Stafford has a world of expertise and an excellent set of weapons If there may be an upset this weekend… this could possibly be the sport the strategic changes between Sean McVay and the Rams offense in opposition to Vic Fangio and the protection of the Eagles will present it with a enjoyable sport inside a sport.”
Chris Myers is an Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer, reporter and studio host for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @The_ChrisMyers.
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