Player of the Week: Raheem Mostert, RB-SF
One team was able to run over their QB-led opponent by running and running and running. It wans't the Titans though, and instead of Derrick Henry having a huge game, it was a truly unknown (prior to this year) running back for hte 49ers. Raheem Mostert had big holes to run through, but his constant ability to get yardage was amazing. His upright running style broke through tacklers. It was amazing to watch - the speed which he got to the edge, his slight hesitations to let blocks develop. It was all so on point. Mostert may never have a game like that again, but with Tevin Coleman likely limited in the Super Bowl, if he plays at all.
Runner-Up: Tyreek Hill, WR-KC
He was somewhat lost at times in all the madness against the Texans. It was about Kelce and Hardiman, and Hill's most notable moment was the muffed punt. In this game, Hill was awesome, always creating separation, doing great to adjust to Mahomes's scrambling plays. He was good in the return game. Hill remains one of the most dynamic weapons in football, and he was awesome leading their comeback (to be fair, I gave it to him because I didn't want to just have to talk about Mahomes again.
Goat of the Week Ryan Tannehill, QB-TEN
For the first time in a few weeks, Tannehill had to throw. While his stats weren't bad (21-31 for 209 yards with 2 TDs) his three brutal sacks ended drives that could have resulted into something, and when they let the Chiefs to within 17-14, he turtled. I still think Tannehill showed something this year to deserve another season at the helm of the Titans, but when he needed to hit big throws, unless his first read off of play-action was open (mostly AJ Brown) he had trouble moving the ball. The sacks to end the first drive of the 2nd half, and his awful fall-down sack to end the game were tough to watch. Yes, I'm sure we could have foreseen Henry finally getting tired but you would have expected to Tannehill reacting better when given the chance to throw more than 15 times.
Runner-Up: The Smiths, OLB-GB
There are wholesale issues with the Packers defensive front in that game. The interior line was a disaster. But the Smith's, the much respected and well-performing edge rush duo, were also good run defenders and edge-setters, and they were just invisible in that game. They got zero pass rush as well. They were great all year, including dominant performaces against the Seahawks last week, but went invisible at exactly the wrong time.
Surprise of the Week: Chiefs Rush Defense
The Chiefs rush defense was bad most of hte year. It was worse when Chris Jones went out, but through two playoff games, one with Jones back, they've been far more stout than you wold expect. Henry started off strong, but he was quickly bottled up and ended up near 3.0 yards per rush. This was the most dominant rushing attack the playoffs have seen in a while, and he was completley zeroed out by a front that was more than just Chris Jones. Given how peerless the 49ers looked running the ball, that group will have to be even better.
Runner-Up: Andy Reid's smart game-management
Honestly, the sports world gives Andy way too much grief for his clock management issues. Yes, it is a relative weakness, but his brilliance as a play-caller, an offense designer, a motivator and a leader are far, far, far, far more important and meaningful. Well, in this game his game management was great. He called timeouts well. He held back well. The drive to take the lead 21-17 was perfect, leaving negligible amounts of time for the Titans. It was a clinic.
Disappointment of the Week: Competitive Title Games
Honestly, we don't have to go too far back to see competitive title games, but this year's duo were such duds. The last year close to this was 2016, when the Fakcons routed Green Bay by taking a giant early lead (34-0 that time), and the Patriots doing what they do to the Steelers. These two played out similarly. We got about 20 minutes of game-time of interesting football and then 100 minutes of laughable one-sidedness. This has been a great playoffs personally beacuse the Patriots GTFO of the way early, but after a bonkers Wild Card round with two OT games and what-not, we've now gotten a pretty mediocre run of games since. Hopefully it works out well with a competitive good Super Bowl.
Runner-Up: The Devante Adams / Richard Sherman Matchup
Richard Sherman did travel across teh field a few times to cover Adams on the offensive-left (defensive-right). But on the whole Adams stayed on one side, Sherman locked down the other. It was mostly them left on their own, with the only drama coming after the game was more or less settled. Adams burned Sherman for 66 yards, sure, but then he also picked off a pass to seal it. Overall, Sherman is a great player, and Adams is a great player, but we didn't really see it one on one.
Team Performance of the Week: 49ers Offensive Line
They opened up hole after hole for 282 yards, the msot rushing yards in a playoff game since the 49ers blitzed the Packers for 313 in 2012 (the Kaepernick game). They also did well the few times they were asked to pass block - with teh sole sack being the fault of Garoppolo more than the OL. Those five guys did an amazing job the entire game, be it zone, trap, and any other run play style. The line is also built in a classic way of blending top picks, reclamation projects and randos. They are the drumbeat of an offense way better than it should be - let's not forget to add Kittle, to this as well, easily the best run-blocking TE going currently.
Runner-Up: Chiefs Skill Position guys
I already talked about Hill, but let's pour many out for Kelce, who remains unblockable and ran through a good Titans defense against the TEs. Let's also do so for Williams, who recovered from an awful divisional round performance, and Hardiman. Oh yeah, there's also that guy who was once drafted #4 overall, who may turn up big in teh Super Bowl. Finally, Damien Williams continues to be an incredible trusted multi-purpose back. They are truly a special group. Special enough to beat the league's best defense?
Team Laydown of the Week: Packers Defense
The Packers defense was a strength in the 2019 season. However good it was, they were truly deplorable on Sunday. They could barely beat a block. They couldn't cover when Garoppolo threw it. They were totally unable to tackle anyone, with so many yards after catch. It was amazing to see this defense which played well throughout the year look so incapable of giving up less than six yards per carry.
Runner-Up: Titans Offensive Line
On the other side, we have a Titans OL that played so well against two top defenses and then struggled all day long against an average, if at best slightly-above average defense. Seeing them unable to run block after doing so well in teh past two games was shocking. Their pass blocking was sub-par, allowing tertiary Chiefs rushers getting constant pressure against Tannehill. It was a true letdown from the unit that, aside from Henry, had dominated the playoffs more than anyone.
Storyline that will be Beat Into the Ground: The great offense vs. great defense angle
So many times in the past we've seen truly great offenses take on truly great defenses, and almost always it has resulted in the defense winning the game. The recent examples were 2013 (Seahawks over Broncos), 2016 (Patriots over Falcons), 2002 (Bucs over Raiders) and on and on. Of course, I'm also leaving out 2006, when the league's best offense beat the league's 2nd best defense (Colts over Bears), or 2014 when the best offense (Patriots) beat the best defense (Seattle). Of course, even in those games, it didn't always turn on one unit dominating the other great unit. Sometimes it did (2002, 2013), but the 2014 Seahawks held the Patriots to 14 points through three quarters before four starters got injured on defense. In 2016, the Patriots were the league's best defense by points allowed, but gave up 28 points. In the end, games are games, and offense can overcome defense, and vice-versa.
Storyline that Should be Beat Into the Ground: The Walsh-era inbreeding bowl
Bill Walsh died twelve years ago. Mike Holmgren was the last coach active to directly coach under Walsh, and he retired in 2008. The last coach with direct ties to the Walsh 49ers to coach was Mike Shanahan, who retired in 2013. That all said, the Walsh coaching tree reverberates greater today than ever. Andy Reid is a direct link, coaching under Holmgren in Green Bay. Kyle Shanahan is as direct, both by blood (coaching under his dad), and resume (first coordinator role under Gary Kubiak in Houston). The Walsh coaching tree is still dominating the NFL, with ties to all those people who are invovled with Sean McVay (first coached under Jon Gruden), and all the Reid proteges (Reich, Nagy, Pederson). It is amazing how much the league is still run by this group tracing back to that brilliant man, Bill Walsh, who got his first NFL head coaching job 40 years ago.
One team was able to run over their QB-led opponent by running and running and running. It wans't the Titans though, and instead of Derrick Henry having a huge game, it was a truly unknown (prior to this year) running back for hte 49ers. Raheem Mostert had big holes to run through, but his constant ability to get yardage was amazing. His upright running style broke through tacklers. It was amazing to watch - the speed which he got to the edge, his slight hesitations to let blocks develop. It was all so on point. Mostert may never have a game like that again, but with Tevin Coleman likely limited in the Super Bowl, if he plays at all.
Runner-Up: Tyreek Hill, WR-KC
He was somewhat lost at times in all the madness against the Texans. It was about Kelce and Hardiman, and Hill's most notable moment was the muffed punt. In this game, Hill was awesome, always creating separation, doing great to adjust to Mahomes's scrambling plays. He was good in the return game. Hill remains one of the most dynamic weapons in football, and he was awesome leading their comeback (to be fair, I gave it to him because I didn't want to just have to talk about Mahomes again.
Goat of the Week Ryan Tannehill, QB-TEN
For the first time in a few weeks, Tannehill had to throw. While his stats weren't bad (21-31 for 209 yards with 2 TDs) his three brutal sacks ended drives that could have resulted into something, and when they let the Chiefs to within 17-14, he turtled. I still think Tannehill showed something this year to deserve another season at the helm of the Titans, but when he needed to hit big throws, unless his first read off of play-action was open (mostly AJ Brown) he had trouble moving the ball. The sacks to end the first drive of the 2nd half, and his awful fall-down sack to end the game were tough to watch. Yes, I'm sure we could have foreseen Henry finally getting tired but you would have expected to Tannehill reacting better when given the chance to throw more than 15 times.
Runner-Up: The Smiths, OLB-GB
There are wholesale issues with the Packers defensive front in that game. The interior line was a disaster. But the Smith's, the much respected and well-performing edge rush duo, were also good run defenders and edge-setters, and they were just invisible in that game. They got zero pass rush as well. They were great all year, including dominant performaces against the Seahawks last week, but went invisible at exactly the wrong time.
Surprise of the Week: Chiefs Rush Defense
The Chiefs rush defense was bad most of hte year. It was worse when Chris Jones went out, but through two playoff games, one with Jones back, they've been far more stout than you wold expect. Henry started off strong, but he was quickly bottled up and ended up near 3.0 yards per rush. This was the most dominant rushing attack the playoffs have seen in a while, and he was completley zeroed out by a front that was more than just Chris Jones. Given how peerless the 49ers looked running the ball, that group will have to be even better.
Runner-Up: Andy Reid's smart game-management
Honestly, the sports world gives Andy way too much grief for his clock management issues. Yes, it is a relative weakness, but his brilliance as a play-caller, an offense designer, a motivator and a leader are far, far, far, far more important and meaningful. Well, in this game his game management was great. He called timeouts well. He held back well. The drive to take the lead 21-17 was perfect, leaving negligible amounts of time for the Titans. It was a clinic.
Disappointment of the Week: Competitive Title Games
Honestly, we don't have to go too far back to see competitive title games, but this year's duo were such duds. The last year close to this was 2016, when the Fakcons routed Green Bay by taking a giant early lead (34-0 that time), and the Patriots doing what they do to the Steelers. These two played out similarly. We got about 20 minutes of game-time of interesting football and then 100 minutes of laughable one-sidedness. This has been a great playoffs personally beacuse the Patriots GTFO of the way early, but after a bonkers Wild Card round with two OT games and what-not, we've now gotten a pretty mediocre run of games since. Hopefully it works out well with a competitive good Super Bowl.
Runner-Up: The Devante Adams / Richard Sherman Matchup
Richard Sherman did travel across teh field a few times to cover Adams on the offensive-left (defensive-right). But on the whole Adams stayed on one side, Sherman locked down the other. It was mostly them left on their own, with the only drama coming after the game was more or less settled. Adams burned Sherman for 66 yards, sure, but then he also picked off a pass to seal it. Overall, Sherman is a great player, and Adams is a great player, but we didn't really see it one on one.
Team Performance of the Week: 49ers Offensive Line
They opened up hole after hole for 282 yards, the msot rushing yards in a playoff game since the 49ers blitzed the Packers for 313 in 2012 (the Kaepernick game). They also did well the few times they were asked to pass block - with teh sole sack being the fault of Garoppolo more than the OL. Those five guys did an amazing job the entire game, be it zone, trap, and any other run play style. The line is also built in a classic way of blending top picks, reclamation projects and randos. They are the drumbeat of an offense way better than it should be - let's not forget to add Kittle, to this as well, easily the best run-blocking TE going currently.
Runner-Up: Chiefs Skill Position guys
I already talked about Hill, but let's pour many out for Kelce, who remains unblockable and ran through a good Titans defense against the TEs. Let's also do so for Williams, who recovered from an awful divisional round performance, and Hardiman. Oh yeah, there's also that guy who was once drafted #4 overall, who may turn up big in teh Super Bowl. Finally, Damien Williams continues to be an incredible trusted multi-purpose back. They are truly a special group. Special enough to beat the league's best defense?
Team Laydown of the Week: Packers Defense
The Packers defense was a strength in the 2019 season. However good it was, they were truly deplorable on Sunday. They could barely beat a block. They couldn't cover when Garoppolo threw it. They were totally unable to tackle anyone, with so many yards after catch. It was amazing to see this defense which played well throughout the year look so incapable of giving up less than six yards per carry.
Runner-Up: Titans Offensive Line
On the other side, we have a Titans OL that played so well against two top defenses and then struggled all day long against an average, if at best slightly-above average defense. Seeing them unable to run block after doing so well in teh past two games was shocking. Their pass blocking was sub-par, allowing tertiary Chiefs rushers getting constant pressure against Tannehill. It was a true letdown from the unit that, aside from Henry, had dominated the playoffs more than anyone.
Storyline that will be Beat Into the Ground: The great offense vs. great defense angle
So many times in the past we've seen truly great offenses take on truly great defenses, and almost always it has resulted in the defense winning the game. The recent examples were 2013 (Seahawks over Broncos), 2016 (Patriots over Falcons), 2002 (Bucs over Raiders) and on and on. Of course, I'm also leaving out 2006, when the league's best offense beat the league's 2nd best defense (Colts over Bears), or 2014 when the best offense (Patriots) beat the best defense (Seattle). Of course, even in those games, it didn't always turn on one unit dominating the other great unit. Sometimes it did (2002, 2013), but the 2014 Seahawks held the Patriots to 14 points through three quarters before four starters got injured on defense. In 2016, the Patriots were the league's best defense by points allowed, but gave up 28 points. In the end, games are games, and offense can overcome defense, and vice-versa.
Storyline that Should be Beat Into the Ground: The Walsh-era inbreeding bowl
Bill Walsh died twelve years ago. Mike Holmgren was the last coach active to directly coach under Walsh, and he retired in 2008. The last coach with direct ties to the Walsh 49ers to coach was Mike Shanahan, who retired in 2013. That all said, the Walsh coaching tree reverberates greater today than ever. Andy Reid is a direct link, coaching under Holmgren in Green Bay. Kyle Shanahan is as direct, both by blood (coaching under his dad), and resume (first coordinator role under Gary Kubiak in Houston). The Walsh coaching tree is still dominating the NFL, with ties to all those people who are invovled with Sean McVay (first coached under Jon Gruden), and all the Reid proteges (Reich, Nagy, Pederson). It is amazing how much the league is still run by this group tracing back to that brilliant man, Bill Walsh, who got his first NFL head coaching job 40 years ago.
