NFL 2019: Pre-Season Power Rankings

Tier I - The "All Eyes on Tua" Duo

32.) Miami Dolphins

This is a weird year where a lot more teams seem fairly settled at QB with either proven vets or untested high draft picks. There are two large, gaping exceptions, which are these two. The Dolphins have been basically been tanking for a while now, and may be just maybe they've timed it right this time to get Tua or Trevor Lawrence or Herbert and finally be ready to contend once Brady retires in 2023. Of course, that was the plan also seven years ago when they drafted Tannehill.


31.) Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals in theory have their QB, be it somehow Andy Dalton, or the guy they drafed in Ryan Finley. Anyway, the real future Bengals QB is probably a guy still in college, and they should get a chance to draft one high with AJ Green missing time and having Marvin Lewis and his floor of 5-6 wins gone.


Tier II - The "Maybe we can scam a team with All Eyes on Tua" Quadro

30.) Arizona Cardinals

Put me in the camp that think the combination of Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury will take a bit longer to make waves than their first year - particularly with the coaching aspect as I don't think Kingsbury's credentials are really all that great. For the team, missing Peterson will be huge as that secondary is a trainwreck and will put Kyler in a lot of uncomfortable situations trying to overcome big deficits. At this point we have to hope this doesn't turn into an Andrew Luck situation.


29.) New York Giants

I have no idea what the Giants are doing, other than saying they likely won't be this bad, but I don't think there are more than a handful of teams with worse upsides than them. The Giants seem particularly rudderless with their bungling of this Manning/JOnes sitaution. John Mara's quote about hoping Jones doesn't see the field is laughably stupid. Anyway, they also traeded away the best WR in teh NFL and saw their other two receivers get suspended and hurt. Just great.


28.) Washington Redskins

I guess Case Keenum will start. I hope Dwayne Haskins takes over at some point in the season. The Redskins have a future here but a lot of it will take stripping the band-aid off and getting to Haskins quickly. They also have to resolve this Trent Williams situation. I know I'll probably beat this point to death but for Haskins too, starting his career with a backup LT on a weak OL is just asking for the problems Luck faced.


27.) San Francisco 49ers

Jimmy G looked terrible one week and competent the next. This time will honestly not be ruined by Jimmy G because there is enough of talent on that defense. But overall, I just think that Jimmy G is just not that good, and this team will slip against a tough schedule with no easy games. Shanahan is a great coach, but even he can only do so much.


Tier III - The "You know, there's always a random team that will make it" Quinto

26.) Oakland Raiders

There is one version of the season which the Raiders end up in the playoffs. They rise in the AFC that lost a key contender in the Colts. Antonio Brown actually figures out that helmet shit and plays like Antonio Brown. The team plays like the team that went 12-4 in 2016, which seems like a damn lifetime ago. Of course, given they still have no good players on defense, and Jon Gruden will probably turn on Carr at some point, that is just not going to happen.


25.) New York Jets

The Jets probably have the greatest upside of any of the teams in this group, but since they're the Jets, and are relying a lot on high priced free agents, I have to think there's also a decent likelihood it crashes. I do like Sam Darnold, and saw a lot of great things out of him in his rookie season. I wish they gave him better players to throw to - though Bell should help relieve some pressure in the passing game as well.


24.) Detroit Lions

I dom't get them. I don't know why they are attempting to run the ball more despite not having any of the foundation to do so. I don't know what their long term plan is on defense as Matt Patricia seems a bit lost. There is some talent on the edges, but I get the sad feeling they're wasting it away with Patricia as a coach. That said, Belichick proteges will randomly have the one good year, so maybe that is this one for Detroit.


23.) Indianapolis Colts

I still can't really talk about it. Let's just say though that this team still has a lot of talent.


22.) Jacksomville Jaguars

If Foles can be even half of what he was in Philadelphia, the Jaguars are something of a Wild Card contender. Of course, one of Foles's issues has been staying healthy, which will not bode well when the backups are completely unknown and the team is still in some strange run the ball mentality with the running back that they actively hate in Leonard Fournette. The defense still has a lot of talent, but all the players that were amazing in 2017 are just two years older now, which is important.


Tier IV - The "Maybe just maybe wild card fodder" Quadro

21.) Buffalo Bills

I may be actually discounting the Bills mostly because I don't really believe in this better, calmer, Josh Allen that we've been seeing in preseason. But if he actually has developed? Well, then the Bills are suddenly a really intriguing wild card team. The defense will be good - Sean McDermott's units almost always are. The offense needs more skill position talent, but the run game and OL are better than they have been in years. It all comes down to Allen - and for their sake I hope he continues to flash the talent so few thought he ever had.


20.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Here's another one that I could completely be wrong on. The marraige of Jameis and Bruce Arians may be really great - just as Arians was with prior scattershot big QBs in Ben and Carson. Of course, those guys are just better than Jameis, but this is by far the best match of offense for Jameis that he's had so far. The defense is still a disaster, but that offense could really show a lot in 2019. It will have to do so also as the Bucs can't push off a long-term Jameis decision any further.


19.) Tennessee Titans

I don't know if any team gains more from Luck's retirement than the Titans who nearly won the divison last year despite another pathetic offensive season from Marcus Mariota (strange 38-10 blowout of the Patriots excepted). I like the talent here, but I do have my doubts on Vrabel much like I still do with Patricia in Detroit. If anything, Vrabel at least coached a really good defense in 2018 that should be about as good again, but if your QB is going to struggle to get to 20 TDs you have little real chance.


18.) Denver Broncos

The Broncos may have a truly great defense in 2019. Von Miller and Chris Harris are still there and great. Nick Chubb was great as a rookie and could really burst. Vic Fangio is almost incapable of having a bad defense. Is that enough to win with a Flacco-led offense with little to no weaponry? Well, Flacco has "won" that way before, as has Fangio. This is another team that should benefit from Luck being out of the picture. I think their upside is a wild card winner with a great defense - something like the 2008-2010 Ravens with Flacco.


Tier V - The "Mid-Tier of the NFL" Qunto

17.) Dallas Cowboys

It's sad that the Cowboys have built a fairly strong team across the board, but this might end up being the high point of their success. The Dak situation and the Zeke situations are both hilarious because I'm pretty sure Jerry will fold at the end and send the Cowboys into cap hell. Until then, though, they have a nice team with a great OL, and a defense that will, sadly, probably regress heavily from last year's surprisingly stout unit. The talent just never matched that level of production. Also, I have a feeling Amari Cooper is going to revert to Raiders Cooper, which he almost started doing late in the season.


16.) Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks could end up better, but I do have some concerns. First, will they finally throw the damn ball? Second, will the mass exodus on defense finally catch up to them? Bobby Wagner is special, but he's basically the only link left to the great Seahawks defenses of yesteryear. Third, there is no way the Wilson -> Lockett connection is as good as it was in 2018. The Seahawks were still a playoff team, but despite them rebuilding last year, they seem to be in an even more uneven position this year.


15.) Cleveland Browns

Ok, I'm trying to tempt my optimism here. But I think Mayfield is special; Myles Garrett is already special; Odell is already special. The team can be special. Their ceiling is way hire than this. Their floor is probably not that far worse than this. My biggest reservation is Freddy Kitchens. I think people way too easily overlook the fact that he wasn't te head coach last year when they finished 5-1-1. Gregg Williams was. Kitchens schemed a great offense, but being a head coach is a different challenge and he has to manage a lot of egos and more expectations for maybe any Browns team ever.


14.) Pittsburgh Steelers

There's a very dichotomous view of the Steelers outlook at the moment. There's the people that see a QB who got a lot worse last year, now without Antonio Brown. Then there's the view that Ben will be motivated to show out without Brown and Bell, adn their defense as a whole was quite good in 2018. To me, I think it is closer to the former than the latter. Roethlisberger did noticeable slip, especially late in teh season, throwing way too many inaccurate jump balls and now has to do the same thing without Brown on the other end.


13.) Green Bay Packers

The LaFleur coaching season will be so interesting to watch given how little Rodgers cared for McCarthy by the end, and how little actual credentials LaFleur has (did anyone watch Tennessee's offense last year?). The team is also so wounded on offense. Their defense will have to some degree carry them, something that hasn't been needed in Green Bay since 2010. I love some of their defensive pieces but let's be careful as Pettine defenses (much like those of his mentor, Rex Ryan) usually have a clear expiry date.


Tier VI - The "Can greatness overcome coaching" Duo

12.) Atlanta Falcons

Oh the Falcons, the never ending team that will have it all come together one year. Of course, it did one year and they blew a 28-3 lead (still mad). The offense should be great - Matt Ryan was about 95% as good last year as he was in 2016 - but that defense still has to integrate players who have never been much more than just strong talent with little actual production.


11.) Houston Texans

This team should be Top-5 if their leadership wasn't so invested in power grabs and machismo instead of actually using their already incredible top-flight talent to bolster the team. They did so little to address their great OL. They are palying a stupid game of chicken with Jadeveon Clowney. They have no GM and insteadd are using some strange collective decision making nucleus. That all said, Watson, Hopkins, Watt, Clowney nad others is strong enough to make them fairly good despite all the ridiculousness on teh sidelines and in the box.


Tier VII - The "Mid-Tier Challengers" Trio

10.) Los Angeles Chargers

They would have been higher if not for the injury train already starting with Derwin James, who is a critical part of their secondary-heavy defensive gameplan. He had a great rookie year and its a shame to lose him for 3-4 months. The rest of the team is still solid, but I do wonder if we all looked a little too quickly past Phil Rivers' painful end to the season. Guys his age may still be good, but the idea that older quarterbacks almost always decline as the season goes on is a true one.


9.) Minnesota Vikings

Still a very good roster, but you have to wonder if some sort of mental fatigue or over-familiarity will come into play with that defense wahich has mostly been the same group for a few years now. There is some settling in that happens. The Vikings offense should still be quite good, but you do wonder if Kirk Cousins has even the gear that Case Keenum reached in 2017. They're still a very talented team, but injuries and inertia could take their toll.


8.) Baltimore Ravens

I really like the layout of this team with the hiring of Greg Roman. They have built a roster that resembles a lot of what we saw with the Harbaugh-era 49ers, including Roman designing and scheming a workable run-heavy offense. It will be fun to watch for sure. The defense, despite some exoduses, shoudl still be very good, especially with what looks to be maybe the strongest secodnary in the league.


6.) Chicago Bears

If Mitch Trubisky takes a step further in becoming a more complete, settled, dependable QB, this may look low. But I have my doubts, and I also think losing Fangio will result in some drop-off in the NFL's best defense. Even had Fangio stayed, generally these awesome defenses just don't last multiple seasons, be it the 2017 Jags or Vikings last year, or the Broncos before that. Even if the Bears are tremendously talented everwhere, they probably won't cause 30 more takeaways. Again, it won't matter if Trubisky plays better.


Tier VIII - The "Top of the NFC" Trio

7.) Carolina Panthers

I'm assuming here that Cam Newton plays week 1. The Panthers are set-up to be a great team this year, but the lingering sense of Newton potentially getting hurt will always be there. Their switch to a 3-4 should be aided by guys like McCoy and Poe joining forces with Kawaan Short. DJ Moore should look to build off of a great rookie season. The line is better than it has been in years past. Certainly, on paper they are as good as the 15-1 2015 team - though the lingering sense that every dropback could spell doom never goes away.


6.) New Orleans Saints

The Saints should be about as good as last year, but my two biggest concerns are a potential regression in more injuries than last year's relatively healthy team, and a continued decline in Brees. I twasn't as drastic as Manning's 2014 season, but the drop in Brees's performance from abotu Week 1-13 and then from that point on was pretty jarring. He didn't cross 200 yards in three straight games (something almost unconscionable). Of course, maybe there was some injury that went away or some reason, but it does raise red flags.


5.) Los Angeles Rams

Just like the Saints, there is a sense of it all went too well for the Rams last year, keeping a bunch of loud voices in check. That said, they still have upside, be it more growth from Goff, better, more consistent, play from their defense. The Rams still have a loaded roster, and one thing I don't believe at all is this idea that they were solved by the Patriots. The Rams will react to that underssing. They have to.


Tier X - The "Andy Reid Lives" Duo

3.) Kansas City Chiefs

The defense may be slightly better, but the offense will almost assuredly be worse. They were revolutionary last year, but we've had revolutionary offenses before and there generally is some slippage - be it only 37 TDs from Mahomes, or whatever else. Losing Hunt will hurt, especially in the passing game. Keeping Hill was huge for them, despite how seedy that whole thing seems.


2.) Philadelphia Eagles

If Carson Wentz is the guy that started most of 2017, this is the best team in the NFL. Their OL is still great. Their receivers are sharp. Their TE depth is commendable. THe defensive line is still stout, and their secondary should get a boost with injured guys returning and joining the ones they uncovered last year. The Eagles are great, but if Wentz is the guy that played last year, or if he gets hurt again, it could go way worse.


Tier XI - The 'The Champs" Uno

1.) New England Patriots

Let's not talk about it ever.

On Andrew Luck Retiring

There are too many thoughts when Andrew Luck announced his retirement. Someday, I may write a post ranking, listing and pondering all of them, each one more ludicrous than the rest. This is a decision that has so many implications – for the Colts, for Luck, for the NFL as a whole. But mostly, because I am selfish, I first thought of what it meant for me – a Colts fan, and on the whole, I am ok with it. I truly wish Andrew Luck all the best as he moves on to living the life he said he wasn’t able to because of footballs ills. But in his retirement wake leaves a lot of questions. What it also puts in stark display is the ills of that six month stretch from when the Colts ruled Manning out of the 2011 season through to releasing him. They were wrong, even they we were blessed to watch Luck play.

Many Colts fans were ready to see the page turned away from Manning in 2011, mostly due to the uncertainty of him playing again, but also because Andrew Luck was the next sure thing, the best prospect since Manning. Andrew Luck was supposed to be the sure thing. The math went would you pick 5 years of Manning over 15 years of Luck. Many of us said yes, and even when we did it wasn’t because we expected Luck to barely make it halfway through that 15. You never give up on special players, on those so meainingful as Peyton Manning, when there is a chance they get back. Jim Irsay took that chance away, then ran his mouth to degrees that will look so bad now that the Luck era is over too.

They cut a Manning who showed on (grainy) video footage he could still throw to draft Andrew Luck and turn the page – something that was about a lot more than just the QB, but more about Irsay taking control of the franchise back from that meanie Bill Polian. They had the ability to do it because Irsay could draft his savior. Problem was that his savior was never going to be Peyton Manning.

In the end, Andrew Luck was amazing. He excelled from his frist game, leading a truly awful 2012 Colts team to a miracle 11-5 season, and then doing it a few more times. He took a bad team to the 2014 AFC Championship Game. He pulled off miracles despite being hamstrung by a coach and GM who were trying to inadvertently undermine him to appease an owner who wanted to win the Patriots way and avoid the ‘star-wars’ numbers of the Manning era (talk about a quote that has aged well….). He did all of that, but took a pounding, had to overcome myriad injuries, and in the end it was too much – just like it was for Calvin Johnson or Patrick Willis or other all time greats who have made the same decision in a continuing worrying trend.

I do want to speak about the dichotomous reaction we get. Some Colts fans booed him as the Colts left the field in their preseason game. The internet, as they are wont to do, took this as a pitch-fork mob moment to slam these fans. Those people (the one’s criticizing the fans) need to GTFOH. I totally understand why those fans, in the heat of the moment, booed him. Those fans are likely season ticket holders, who have paid a lot of money (especially given average Indianapolis salaries) to buy tickets to watch a team they’ve invested so much in. And now their season, and likely their immediate multi-year future, just got thrown away as they saw Luck retire. They didn’t know why. Luck hadn’t given his beautifully emotional press conference. They lashed out – they deserve that right.

I imagine most of those fans tomorrow will feel bad for booing him, they will understand the reasons the man walked away, to leave before he spiraled further.

The words coming from Andrew Luck were so poignant, but also screamed that this was almost more mental than physical. That mentally he was weakened by the toll of having to rehab year after year, that darkness from that rehab was slowly spilling to his personal life, that he needed to escape before it ruined him. God bless Andrew Luck for figuring that out, and doing the brave thing and leaving millions upon millions on the table. He did that because he had. We’ll move on because we have to.

The last 10 years of Colts football has been one of the strangest decade runs ever. It started with a season where the team went 14-0, but then sat its starters in Week 16 in 2009, a move that in my mind forever altered the course of the franchise. It was that moment that had fans turn in Bill Polian, which led to his ouster two years later. Manning left shortly thereafter, in an earth shattering decision that seven years later stands out starkly as having been the wrong move. Luck comes in and then six years later the same thing happens. Someday we’ll have a full six-part 30for30 on this era of Colts football.

 I hope Andrew Luck achieves the peace and happiness he deserves. I hope Colts fans move on and cheer him with every fiber of their body whenever they have a real retirement ceremony or jersey retirement. I hope no one ever argues that Manning should have been kept. I also hope no one ever loses sight of the fun aspects of the Luck era, the great comebacks, the Chuck game over the Packers, the playoff win over the Chiefs, and so much more.

I once wrote many moons back that ‘I love Andrew Luck, I lived Peyton Manning’. I still don’t know exactly what that means, but I do know what I meant by that. Peyton was larger than just a sports player to me, I lived through him, learned lessons through his victories and crushing defeats. In the end, I never had the same connection with Luck – partly because I was always on team #keep18. But in the end, I’m glad I got to watch Andrew Luck for seven seasons, including his incredible return in 2018. I do love Andrew Luck, and I hope he is able to love his life in full forever.

The Loudest Voice

It probably won't get too much love when people write their 'Top-10 Shows' list - though it certainly will from me. But a truly great show, a haunting show, one of the great horror shows I've ever seen, ended this past Sunday - a show that in a weird way showcased the real world version of the more ballyhooed fictional show that came back the same night (Succession). The Loudest Voice showcased Roger Ailes's rise, dominance and quick fall, and it did it so damn well.

You can hate characters, you can fear characters, and you can enjoy the underlying performance. I don't know if there will ever be an example protraying a real-life character than Russell Crowe's magnificently evil protrayal as Roger Ailes.

All of it was so damn haunting, especially since even Ailes's infamous ouster from FOX News, the channel still grew to be a hate-filled, fake-news spouting monstrosity. The scene where Ailes was diumped on his ass was still so cathartic, so earned to see this terrible, misogynistic, racist, predatory monster be fired, that you beleived that maybe, just mabye, FOX would go to new heights under leadership that didn't kowtow or turn a blind eye. Again, that definitely has not happened, but at least Ailes left fired, devasted and dead.

 A weird example to draw that I did mentally was between this show and FX's great The People vs. OJ Simpson (my #1 show in 2016). That too was a real world story, re-enacted with real actors playing real people, also detailing a national horror - that of OJ Simpson's murder. But while in that show the monster was arguably the weakest character (Cuba Gooding as OJ Simpson), hthis time the monster was the star. Russell Crowe was so good.

But then again, so was the character than played Ailes's witch wife, or the people that played the Murdoch's, or Ailes's assistant, or Gretchen Carlson, or even Seth McFarlane playing one of Ailes's early FOX lackeys. It was all so good, so well cast, but while the running sense of People vs. OJ Simpson was how much fun everyone was having, this was more about how serious everyone played it.

Just like People vs. OJ Simpson, this was based off of source material - namely Gabriel Sherman's 'The Loudest Voice in teh Room' book released to partly expose his sexual assault history. Of course, they probably overdramaticized a bit, but it was so harrowing watching a man with so much misplaced, idiotic rage just ruin the world with his direct-focused line to make america great again before that was a thing.

The best episodes honestly were the middle ones - before it transitioned fully to parallel stories of Sexual Assault allegations with Trumps Rise. Those middle episodes focused on Ailes turning FOX News squarely into a channel of biased hate as Barack Obama launched his campaign, won and then won again. Again, once must say none of the dialogue was verbatim, but you can imagine a burned Ailes saying the exact same stuff.

This show was endlessly entertaining, endlessly suspenseful, and endlessly scary and sad. Watching this man basically tear America apart, et us to the point we are now, just because at the end of the day people will watch his network, and give him the ratings to fight for power - power that would allow him to grope, bang and assault all his female employees? Yeah, that is a horror story - just one with amazing active from Oscar winners and others.

Calgary, 14 Years Later

I went to Calgary fourteen years ago with my family. It was a trip that my sister and I infamously (in our house at least) didn't really want to go on, but then ended up enjoying tremendously. Enough so I ranked Calgary fairly high on my list of favorite US and Canadian cities. Fourteen years later, I went back, this time with a buddy, for an extended weekend (ironically, though missing Canada's National Heritage Day holiday this Monday). When I ranked Calgary, I openly said I had no idea if this was an accurate accounting - that it could end up like when I ranked Goa #6 on my favorite cities list after one perfect trip there. Unlike Goa, after visiting Calgary again, I think I may have underranked it the first time.

The closest comparison I can make is that it is a combination of Denver and Salt Lake City, taking the best aspects of both. I'll have a lot to talk about on Banff National Park, the best reason as a tourist to visit Alberta's capital. Banff is amazing, but even if you take away that stunning slice of Canadian Rocky Mountain beauty, Calgary is a fantastic city by itself.

The best aspect of Calgary may be how green and how much embraces the outdoors, despite it being riotously cold four to five months a year. I came during probably the hottest time of the year, and it was a clean, sunny, nearly cloud-less 75-80 degrees during the day, and 60-65 at night.

The city has green everywhere, including in rows of residential housing, nicely manicured lots and houses, just blocks away from the heart of the city. To me that is the biggest similarity with Salt Lake City, how small the city seems. How little traffic there ever was. How easily driveable and navigable the city is. Of course, Calgary is much larger than Salt Lake, housing ~1.3m people. Calgary is a truly beautiful city, even if I was a tad lucky with weather - as locals told me I missed a week of rain a week earlier.

The restaurants and bar scene in Calgary are well built - as they are in a lot of cities we now visit in North America. But what I loved about Calgary is how they embraced the outdoors. The best meal I had wass in the reputed Deane House restaurant to the East of the city, which had tons of outdoor seating near an old train line. They place was well manicured, and had a great tasting menu featuring Calgary beef in each course.

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Other meals were similarly fresh - one was at a really nice trendy spot right on 17th Avenue, the main entertainment drag of the city. Driving to the restaurant, we passed scores of bars and restaurants all with jam-packed patio seating on the street. It was joyful and far more crowded than I would have expected.

The bars were similarly good, with a burgenouning beer culture that has spread all throughout Canada, including a number of stouts. There was a great cocktail bar Milk Tiger that had fascinating bartenders whipping up interesting cocktails, all for far cheaper than you would get in New York, also without the crowds.

They also had one of the more generally pleasant clubs I've been too, small but not overcrowded (despite no real crowd control), cheap drinks (~$7 CAD), great music, good crowd, mix of folks. Everything about Calgary seemed just a real damn pleasant place to live - even for a 20-something.

Anyway, what really makes Calgary sing, as a tourist at least, is what is a few hours away. Banff National Park is now famous - too much so in a way I'll get to. The immediate drive to the park is rather staid with rolling farmland and distant small peaks. Once you enter the park though, staid turns quickly to stunnign is higher peaks surround you on all sides, with the rushing, beautiful baby blue Bow River cascading parallel to the main road.

The park contains multitude of hikes, most of the popular ones being around the two largest tourist attractions in the Park - Lakes Moraine and Louise. The first day I arrived in the afternoon, so I didn't make it into the park proper, but made it to Grotto Canyon, the first semi-popular hike a few miles into the park. Grotto Canyon. This was a fairly short hike that was a great amouze bouche, ending at a creek and waterfall. I left back to town around 7pm, still bright blue sky on top.

The next day was Lake Moraine, having to do that first because Lake Louise already had a parking lot full by the time I reached at 11am. Lake Moraine was surprisingly not full. Lake Moraine is the slightyl less crowded of the two main lakes, mainly because it isn't as big and doesn't have a large chateau, but to me it is the better of the two.

Lake Moraine has such an incredible deep blue, below picturesque peaks. There is a giant 'rock pile' hill at the foot of the lake, and each of the many photo lookouts on the rock pile are more stunning than the last. As you walk around the lake to the creek at the other end, it is more of the same, with a glacier poking out on top of one of the cliffs as you reach the other end. There are a few hikes leaving from Lake Moraine.

The other hike on my first day was a more impressive one, further into the park, after the main highway turns off to the 'Ice Fields Parkway'. About 30 minutes from Lake Louise is Lake Bow, a giant blue lake with a giant waterfall up in the mountains behind it. The hike is a bit tougher, about three hours round trip, but the view throughout and the end is just sttunning all the time, especially when you reach this waterfall thousands of feet above sea level.

The final day was Lake Louise, as amazing as ever, even if they need to improve the logistics (either build a bigger parking lot that doesn't get full at 7am, or run buses from the overflow lot after 6pm). Lake Louise is not as blue as Lake Moraine, but larger, more stunning. There are also a ton of hikes that leave from Lake Louise - the one we did was up to Lake Agnes, a smaller lake about 1,000 feet above Lake Louise, passing a few hills and views of glaciers - and views of Lake Lousie below it - throughout.

Banff is the jewel of Alberta, and again probably the best reason to go to Calgary. However, you probably don't even need to go to Calgary. The town of Banff, a small perfectly manicured town a few miles past the park entrance, is nice enough - with great lodges, restaurants, bars, shopping. A bit too touristy, sure, but a really nice place to either stay or grab a beer and bite on the way back to Calgary.

This trip jsut fortified for me the idea that Canada does its big cities right - again, Calgary is a Top-20 market in terms of population in either US or Canada, despite feeling as small as a Salt Lake City. It also does natural beauty right and more than anything, summer life right.

Seventeen Years of the NFL: Ranking the Conference Title Games, Pt. 2

Tier IV – The Great Games

14.) 2008 AFC Championship – (A6) Ravens 14 @ (A2) Steelers 23

Review: In the first year of the newly-revived Steelers-Ravens rivalry, the Steelers beat the Ravens for a 3^rd time after beating them 23-20 in Heinz and then 13-9 in a smashmouth game at M&T Bank capped with a 92-yard TD drive by Ben. This one wasn’t as close, but the hits were just as many. It started out in (smashmouth) style with two Ravens needing medical attention after the opening kickoff. It featured sacks by the usuals: Suggs, Woodley, Ngata, Polamalu, and great play by everyone around on both defenses. Every score seemed like a minor miracle. Any first down for the Ravens (198 yards in the game) seemed like a large miracle. The Steelers led 13-0 and 16-7, but both leads were answered with Ravens’ TD runs by Willis McGahee, keeping the Ravens in a game they were mostly outclassed in by a defense that was just 5% better. Flacco played like a rookie in a Conference Title Game, throwing three interceptions and going just 13-30, but timely red-zone defense kept the Ravens in the game. In the end, it ended the way any Ravens-Steelers slugfest should, with a dramatic pick-6 as the Ravens were driving for a potential game-winning field goal. Troy Polamalu did the honors, cutting in front of a Flacco pass and weaving his way to the house for the capper in a hard-hitting night in Heinz Field. 

Interesting/Memorable Play: Steelers 2^nd round bust Limas Sweed had an interesting two plays. First, he dropped a walk-in touchdown and then, in what is mostly seen as an act of cowardly fright, faked being hurt so he could curry up some sympathy. Two plays later, he laid out Frank Walker with a massive, Hines-Ward-ian block.

Interesting/Memorable Play 2: The Steelers first touchdown came courtesy of one of the strangest plays you will ever see. Ben Roethlisberger, like he does, escaped a sack and spun and heaved a ball downfield off-balance. The Raven defender overran the ball, and Holmes came back and caught it, and then weaved his way for a 62-yard touchdown. The play really should have been a sack or an interception, but somehow, someway, Santonio Holmes did what he did constantly in the 2008 postseason.

13.) 2017 AFC Championship - (A3) Jaguars 20 @ (A1) Patriots 24

Review: The Patriots trailed 14-3. The Patriots also seemed like a lock to win the whole time - so mismatched was Brady vs. Bortles. The Patriots trailed 20-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, and it still seemed like a lock. It wasn't without its fun along the way, though. The Jaguars were able to consistently move the ball, but Bortles in the end was felled by pressure, very un-Patriots-like pressure. The Patriots rallied first with a huge TD right before half, and then back-to-back TDs to Danny Amendola, moving from a 20-10 deficit to an insurmountable 24-20 lead. But the comeback almost never happened. First was a fumble by Dion Lewis that arguably should have become a Jaguars TD, but the whistle blew too early after the Jags recovered. Then, on their drive that made it 20-17, the Patriots were forced into 3rd and 18, before a 21-yard strike to Amendola. The Jaguars final comeback ended when Trey Flowers sacked Bortles - an inevitable end to what was an entertaining game where we learned how close a Bortles-led team could get to beating a Brady-led team.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The Patriots scored a TD to cut it to 14-10 with a minute to go in the first half. Despite having a timeout, the Jaguars decided to have Blake Bortles kneel twice and go into halftime. There might have been some feeling to accept the 14-10 lead, but you can't beat New England playing scared. I'm pretty sure Doug Pederson doesn't kneel there.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This was the seventh time that Gillette Stadium hosted a Conference Title Game ('03, '07, '11-'12, '14, '16-'17), placing it in a tie with Candlestick Park for the most title games hosted ('81, '84, '89, '90, '92, '94, '97, '11). Obviously, Gillette has the clear upper hand in a race to get to an 8th.

12.) 2008 NFC Championship – (N6) Eagles 25 @ (N4) Cardinals 31

Review: The Colts comeback from 21-3 down in a game still to come on this list was as memorable as any in recent memory, but here, the Eagles came back from a 24-6 halftime deficit on the road and took a 25-24 lead after a 62-yard TD by DeSean Jackson. Too bad for the Eagles, though, as Kurt Warner and the Cardinals put together their only drive of note in the 2^nd half just in time, with a 7:40 long, 14-play march to retake the lead for good. The drive featured a 4^th and 1 pitch-out to Tim Hightower at midfield and a 3^rd and Goal screen pass for a TD to Hightower again. The game itself was a wild affair, with Larry Fitzgerald scoring three 1^st half TDs, including one on a end-around pitchback that I alluded to back in the description of the 2005 Wild Card Game between the Steelers and Bengals. Donovan McNabb and the Eagles answered with three straight TD drives of their own in the 2^nd. In what was the final NFC Championship for both quarterbacks, McNabb was slightly erratic at times, but threw for 375 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT, while Warner was brilliant, going 21-28 for 279 yards and 4 tds with no picks. Fitz, DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis and Brent Celek all had big games. It was a nice shootout that was never really boring (even as the Cards took that 24-6 lead). A nice precursor to the epic shootout that would be in that stadium 51 weeks later.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The game really turned on one brilliant pass. It was the Eagles 2^nd drive of the 2^nd half (after a fumble and then a Cardinals punt), and with 6:41 remaining in the quarter, still down 24-6, the Eagles faced a 3^rd and 18 from their own 31. In what may have been his best pass as an Eagle, McNabb perfectly shot a 50-yard pass to Kevin Curtis, which changed the game completely. If the Eagles won, it might be remembered as one of the biggest plays of the 2000s.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: The Game set a couple records that aren’t exactly good ones. This game marked the first time that both Title Game participants won fewer than 10 games (not to mention the first time since the 2002 AFC Title Game where neither team won 12 or more games), with the Cardinals going 9-7 and the Eagles going 9-6-1. It also marked the lowest combined seeds for Title Game opponents, with the Cardinals being the NFC’s 4^th seed and the Eagles the 6^th.

11.) 2012 NFC Championship - (N2) 49ers 28 @ (N1) Falcons 24

Review: The 49ers did something amazing in this game. No, it wasn't just coming back from 17-0 on the road to win a Championship Game. That was incredible. What was better was doing it without really stopping the Falcons more than twice. The Falcons punted just twice in the game, and only once was in the half. Matt Ryan turned the ball over twice during the 2nd half, where once was when his receiver slipped and the other was a terrible snap. The 49ers, of course, played quite well on offense themselves, capitalizing on a soft run defense with a great game from Frank Gore, who had 90 yards on 21 carries with two TDs. The Falcons kept Kaepernick in the pocket, but he had his best game throwing of any in the playoffs, going 16-21 for 233 yards and a TD with no INTs. Of course, this wasn't close to Matt Ryan, who went 30-42 for 396 yards with three TDs and one pick. Matt Ryan's incredible statline just underscores what a strange comeback this was for the 49ers, who played terrible defense all day. The game actually mirrored the Super Bowl in that way, with the losing team having a large advantage in yardage (the Falcons outgained the 49ers by 104), but the 49ers, like the Ravens did to them, stopped the Falcons in the red zone with a controversial non-call on 4th down. It is hard to for 49ers fans to complain about the Super Bowl since they saw that exact same story play out two weeks earlier. It didn't stop them from complaining, but it happened.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Another example of how well the Falcons played in a losing effort: against a top pass defense, all three of the Falcons main weapons went off. Julio Jones was the star with 11 catches for 182 yards and two TDs. Of course, Roddy White chipped in with 100 yards on 7 catches, and Gonzalez had 78 yards on 8 catches with a TD.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Another example of how the Falcons stopped the Falcons, and not the 49ers, was what happened a handful of plays before their incomplete on 4th down. Throwing from the 50 yard line, Ryan found Harry Douglas wide open on a wheel route near the 30, with absolutely no one inbetween him and the end zone. What did Douglas do? Fall down trying to catch the well thrown ball and turn a sure TD into a 22 yard gain.


10.) 2014 NFC Championship - (N2) Packers 22 @ (N1) Seahawks 28

Review: In what was a fascinating game of two teams competing to play as badly as possible, it ended up being the Packers who decided to make a few more mistakes than the Seahawks did. The game itself was a wholly defensive affair, with the Packers defense absolutely confusing a terrible Russell Wilson into four interceptions, and the Seahawks playing the Packers tight and picking off Rodgers twice themselves. Those two QBs had a combined 6 interceptions in their first 16 playoff games. The Packers built a 16-0 lead, but it should have been so much more. Twice the Packers kicked field goals on 4th and Goal from the 1 and 2 yard line, and once more Rodgers was picked off inside the 20. They could have ended this game, and also moved it far back on the list. Instead, they didn't and the Seahawks woke up. The Seahawks first bite back came on a beautiful fake field goal for a TD. Then a normal drive ended in a TD to make it 19-14, but with 1:25 left it was still basically over. Except the Packers forgot to recover the on-side kick, that part of the equation fell through and the Seahawks scored quickly enough to not only take the lead but give the Packers enough time to send the game to OT with a fifth Mason Crosby field goal at the gun. In the end, Russell Wilson finally put together two good plays in succession, with back-to-back 35 yard passes in OT. First to get them out of 3rd and 7, and next a strike to Jermaine Kearse to walk off a winner. It was a frantic game that changed a lot of perceptions about how bad Russell Wilson could play and still win a playoff game, and how many things a team can do wrong, from Drive 0 to Drive N to lose a game.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The game could've ended numerous times, but other than the bobbled on-side kick, the real 'agent zero' play was the interception by Morgan Burnett, the 4th pick of Wilson on the day. At the time there was 5:15 left, with the Packers up 19-7. Burnett picked it off at his 40, with open field ahead of him and instead of try a return, he slid to safety. It was understandable, but kicked off a horrific series of events.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Right after that interception, the Packers had a 99.9% chance to win the game. That ties the highest win probability for an eventual loser in NFL Playoff history, and breaks the record for a 4th quarter. The last team to do it, though, was not too long ago. The Chiefs had a 99.9% win probability up 38-10 in the 4th quarter of their Wild Card loss to the Colts in 2013.


9.) 2018 AFC Championship - (A2) Patriots 37 @ (A1) Kansas City 318.) 2011 AFC Championship – (A2) Ravens 20 @ (A1) Patriots 23

Review: This game probably would go in the higher section if either Lee Evans gets that 2^nd foot down in time (or holds onto the ball, but if he got the foot down a little sooner what Sterling Moore does becomes irrelevant) or Billy Cundiff makes his kick and it went overtime. Instead, we got merely a great game between the AFC’s best offense and best defense in 2011. The Ravens used every ounce of resourcefulness that they had to stay with the Pats, three times holding the Patriots to field goals and twice picking off Tom Brady (including a sweet pick that Bernard Pollard tipped to Jimmy Smith off of a ridiculously dumb deep pass by Brady to Matthew Slater). Joe Flacco, after a useless 1^st quarter, got into a rhythm, and ended up with over 300 yards, largely to both Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin had huge big days. In the end, the Patriots did what they used to do in 2001-2006, win a close game where they were possibly outplayed. The Patriots offense was able to run the ball better than what most would have expected, but their passing game was limited by a Ravens defense that tackled exceptionally well, making sure. The game featured everything, including a classic Brady drive (although it came quite early in the 4^th) which ended with a Brady 4th and 1 QB-sneak for the game-winning touchdown, a weird matchup where the Patriots tried covering Anquan Boldin with Julian Edelman on their final drive, and in the end, some kicker-related luck bailing the Patriots out.. If not for that last part of that last sentence, this could have been the 1^st of two classics on the best title game day in recent history.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Right before the Ravens last drive, the Patriots were in almost the exact same position they were in five yearas earlier. The Patriots had the ball with 4 minutes to go needing one first down to effectively ice the game. Just like last time, they couldn’t get it. Just like last time, it was a great safety defensing a pass on 3^rd and 4. Last time it was Bob Sanders nearly pick-sixing Brady, here it was Ed Reed playing great coverage on Aaron Hernandez. Sad the similarities didn’t perfectly continue in the ensuing drives.

Interesting/Memorable Moment: After the game, Jim Nantz, before letting Tom Brady speak, rhapsed poetic about Brady being the 2^nd QB to make it to 5 Super Bowls and basically stopped just short of giving Tommy a Happy Ending. Then, in one of my few favorite Brady moments, Tommy took the mike and immediately debunked Nantz’s shit, saying “I played like crap today.”

Interesting/Memorable Moment 2: One of the few memorable images of the end of the game situation that I like to see is that beautiful picture of Vince Wilfork (who played stellar) with his helmet off and steam rising from the top off his head.

7.) 2018 NFC Championship - (N2) Rams 26 @ (N1) Saints 23

Tier V – The Epics

6.) 2015 AFC Championship - (A2) Patriots 18 @ (A1) Broncos 20

Review: The last game in the Brady-Manning rivalry played out in a way that was entirely unexpected, and entirely incomprehensible to anyone who had documented and lived through what Brady-Manning meant. For once, it was Manning's side whose defense came to the party, whipped the Patriots lineman, harrassed the QB, forced timely interceptions and wrapped the game up by making one last great play. The last game between these two titans were not about them, but about Denver's historically good defense outplaying the Patriots defense. The Broncos offense started strong marching right down the field for a TD, but after that the defense just took over. They sacked Brady four times, and hit him 18 other times. The total 22 hits was the most any QB took in any game, regular or postseason, in 7 years. The rush was relentless, the coverage nearly as good, as they held Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola in complete check. If not for an inhuman game by Rob Gronkowski, who had 144 yards on 6 catches, the Patriots might never have scored a TD. Instead, the game was finally decided by Denver's defense making two straight 4th down stops, both highlighting one aspect of their defensive dominance. The first came on a 4th and 1, when Demarcus Ware didn't bit on the playfake and harrassed Brady into ruining a nice little throwback play. The second was another rush forcing Brady to throw a lob to a triple-covered Gronkowski. What makes this game a true epic, though was the last drive where the Broncos couldn't make 4th down stops. On the Patriots final drive, Brady threw 10 passes, three of them complete, and the other seven almost all plays where the rush forced Brady to throw up a lob that was lucky for not being intentional grounding. The Patriots trump card in Gronk turned a 4th and 10 and a 4th and Goal into positive plays, but on the final real play of the game, one last great pass rush forced Brady to roll and throw against his body. Aqib Talib, finally healthy enough to complete a Championship Game, batted the ball into the waiting arms of Bradley Roby to end it. When it was over, Manning got a 3-2 lead in his head-to-head playoff meetings, one Brady and the Patriots would never get a chance to match, and for the 2nd time in three years, the Broncos knocked out New England in an AFC Championship, this time because of Manning's team finally bringing the hammer.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The game really turned on Brady's first interception, which was thrown in the shadow of his own end zone to Von Miller, who dropped brilliantly into coverage and undercut Gronkowski. Miller was the star of the game, adding his interception to 2.5 sacks.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Never escaping controversy, the Patriots play in this game spurred yet another rule change. No inquiry this time, but the intentional grounding rules were slightly changed in the ensuing offseason, seemingly allowing Brady's "Toss up the ball to any general direction when being sacked" play an intentional grounding.

Interesting/Memorable Play: It wasn't a play, but a moment, but after the game, Manning basically repeated to both Brady and Belichick the following sentiment, "This might be my last rodeo, so it sure has been a pleasure." Him saying this to Belichick got picked up clearly by the NFL Films mics, but the CBS game mics picked up a softer record of Peyton saying the same to Brady too.

5.) 2011 NFC Championship – (N4) Giants 20 @ (N2) 49ers 23 (OT)

Review: Other than Lambeau Field, no stadium in the NFL has as much 'mystique and aura' as Candlestick Park, and with the new stadium coming soon, this could easily be the last playoff game played in the 'Stick, and damn was it great. As the rain slowly went away, the game become more and more special, a truly awesome spectacle of defensive football played in a sparkling, dark night by the Bay. Both defenses dominated, with the Giants sacking Smith three times, and the 49ers repaying the favor six times. Justin Smith absolutely killed David Baas, Chris Snee and Kevin Booth. It was just staggering watching Eli Manning drop back 64 times and getting hit repeatedly, but keeping his team in the game just enough. For the 49ers, the story was, once again, Vernon Davis, who had three catches for 112 yards and a pair of scores. Alex Smith returned to mostly what we think of Alex Smith, going 12-26, but much of that has to do with the insane pressure he faced, and the incredible inability of any of his receivers to get open (The 49er receivers combined for one catch for three yards). Still, with the two Davis TDs (one catch and run for 72 yards and one 27-yard deep post), they led 14-10 midway through the 4th quarter. The 49ers forced a Giants' three-and-out capped with an Aldon Smith sack, when Kyle Williams went back to punt. Then, his name forever became etched in San Fran history right next to Roger Craig (at least when it comes to fumbling), as the punt bounced off of his knee. The Giants recovered, and six plays later, Manning fired a 17-yard TD to Manningham on 3rd and 15. The 49ers then proceeded to dominate the Giants offense the rest of the day, sacking Manning two more times, but only put up a field goal to tie the game. They almost got their fumble (in what would have been eerily similar to the Craig fumble scenario), but Bradshaw's fumble was ruled dead as forward progress was stopped. Then, to cap off this play was Act III: OT. The new rules were, again, deemed unnecessary, as both teams couldn't get anything going. But after the Giants second-punt of OT (set up by a Ahmad Brooks sack), Kyle Williams again fumbled, and the Giants recovered. The only drama left was Lawrence Tynes, who has a history of both huge makes and bad misses, but he nailed his 2nd NFC Championship Winning Field Goal in OT in 5 years, ending a game that no team deserved to lose.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Kyle Williams (who I learned later is the son of White Sox GM Kenny Williams) was only the main returner for the 49ers because Ted Ginn Jr. was hurt in the Saints game, and I'm sure he, more than anyone, would've wanted Ginn to play. That said, it was his 40-yard kick-off return that set up the 49ers at the 50 for their game-tying field goal in the 4th quarter.

Interesting/Memorable Moment: Before the OT coin-toss, the game ref does a little meet-and-great with the players, telling the rules, giving them the timeout and challenge scenarios, and all that generic garbage. Well, Ed Hochuli decided that instead of being rote, he would take the time to recite Shakespeare, giving us a 1 minute 11 second long introduction to OT. The best part of the moment was the audible groan that came on the crowd at about the 0:40 mark of the speech.

4.) 2013 NFC Championship - (N5) 49ers 17 @ (N1) Seahawks 23

I can't wait for the 2015 NFC Championship game. The last four times the NFC has had the late title game, they've been classics (spoiler, they rank #5-#2 on this list). This is the only one of the four to not end with a walk-off field goal in OT, but it didn't make it any less great. I still argue Carolina was as good as San Francisco, but this matchup seemed a little predestined. Thankfully, despite getting gutted the last two times traveling to Seattle (losing 42-14 and 26-3), the 49ers showed up and made this a game. They showed up from the first play, with Aldon Smith stripping Russell Wilson. The Seahawks defense held firm early on when Kaepernick looked like the only person on the field who could do anything, running peerlessly through the defense. Kaepernick racked up nearly 100 yards rushing in the first half. Of course, the Seahawks gave up just 10 points in that half. It took Seattle forever to get going on offense, but the Seahawks finally hit a play before the half when Wilson evaded a few sacks and launched a bomb. The 2nd half was a great Greek Play. First was Marshawn Lynch's great run to tie the game. Then a few defensive battles. Kaepernick threw a laser TD to Boldin right over Earl Thomas's head to take a 17-10 lead, but that would be all. A 4th down TD to Jermaine Kearse on a bomb tied it, and then Kaepernick fell apart. Three 4th-quarter turnovers ruined their chances. But still, after a goal line stand, the 49ers had a chance. Kaepernick was driving them. Crabtree was making a few catches. They had 30 seconds and 20 yards to go, and then Kaepernick decided to challenge the best corner in teh NFL. The best corner won, tipping it to Malcolm Smith, ending a classic in front of an awesome 12th man crowd. The best NFL games seem like events from a different world, a strange unique setting,. This was definitely one of them, taking place in the isolated Northwest. What a special game.

Interesting/Memorable Play: The play will be remembered for NaVarro Bowman's scary injury, but the reason the injury will be replayed and replayed was Bowman, after essentially tearing all the knee, recovering a fumble that was not given. The rule changed in the off-season, and the justly the Seahawks were stoned on the ensuing 4th down.

Interesting/Memorable Play 2: The last play was a great individual moment by Richard Sherman, but of course what is more notable was what happened after the interception, with Sherman and Crabtree getting into a little hissy fight and then Sherman's great interview with Erin Andrews. Sherman acted like a dick, but an awesome dick. Thing is, though, Crabtree had a pretty decent game.

3.) 2009 NFC Championship – (N2) Vikings 28 @ (N1) Saints 31 (OT)

Review: Well, what became maybe the 2nd most famous Championship Game of this era, has now become easily the most infamous. Truthfully, my opinion of this classic is skewed a little because of the events of 'BountyGate', but for this, I will try to forget what I now know. The game itself was a case of the Vikings doing everything in their power to both win and lose the game at the same time. It was a study in drama, with both teams having many moments where their fans must have felt it was all doomed. The 1st half was mostly normal, with the teams trading touchdowns, as the Vikings opened the game with back-to-back TD drives capped off by a 18-yard run by Peterson and a touchdown toss to Sidney Rice. The Saints got their two with a screen pass for 38-yards to Pierre Thomas and another TD pass to Devery Henderson. Then, on a seemingly innocous punt right before the half, the game became a greek tragedy. Reggie Bush muffed a punt. That set off a string of unlikely, and for most Minnesotans, harrowing events. Set up at the 5-yard line, the Vikings gave the ball right back as Favre and Peterson screwed up a handoff. The 2nd half was more of the same, with the Vikings thoroughly dominating play, outgaining the Saints 235-48 in the 2nd half. Yes, you read those numbers right. The more shocking side was the Vikings defense just swallowing up the Saints, forcing four three-and-outs in the Saints 6 possessions in the 2nd half. The Vikings themselves moved the ball right down the field on all but one of their six 2nd half drives, but other than two touchdowns on angry Peterson runs, they ended in infamy. Four 2nd half turnovers, including a fumble by Bernard Berrian at the Saints 5 yard line, and a fumble by Percy Harvin at the Vikings 10, and a interception by Brett Favre (on a play that should've been called roughing the passer) all played a part in the Vikings inability to win a game they absolutely deserved to. They still had a chance, though. After giving their win away, they had a chance to still win, despite losing the turnover battle four to one. On their last drive, the Vikings drove down to the Saints 33 with over a minute to go, when their true meltdown occurred. First, came a 12-men-in-the-huddle penalty, and then, on 3rd and 15 and the prospect of a 56-yard field goal, Favre rolled out and tried to make a play, but Tracy Porter undercut the route and picked it off. To OT it went, and a Saints drive that could've ended twice, but after a bad pass interference call gave the Saints a 1st and 10 at the Vikings 29, it was all over. Garrett Hartley nailed the 40-yarder to give the Saints a win they didn't really deserve, but considering the Vikings gave it away, it wasn't as if the Vikings deserved it any more.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Why did the Saints OT drive have controversy? First, on a 4th and 1 jump rush by Pierre Thomas, the ball appeared to be dislodged for Thomas's arm. He did 'recover' the ball, but by then he was back behind the yard line that he needed to get to. A case could be made it should've been a turnover on downs. Two plays before that, Brees (who was only 17-31 on the day - again, just a bad game for the Saitns offense) overshot Colston, but Ben Leber knocked the ball out of Asher Allen's hands. Even in OT, the Vikings had their chances.

Interesting/Memorable Play 2: That Favre interception resulted in over-criticism for Favre, because had he just thrown it away, it was still a 56-yard field goal, but I can understand why Favre didn't try to run the ball. He had been battered all day. BountyGate or not, it was a beating that elicited a response of "how mean the Saints are" from my Mom. Favre's ankle resembled a misshapen plum after the game. They beat him down, yet he still went 28-46 for 310 yards. It was, in all honesty, the last great game of Favre's career.

Tier VI - The Games that Defined the Decade

2.) 2007 NFC Championship – (N5) Giants 23 @ (N2) Packers 20 (OT)

Review: For one night, it seemed like nowhere in the world mattered as much as Green Bay, Wisconsin. During a asininely cold night in Green Bay (the temperature stayed steady between -1 and -3 degree, with the wind chill between -20 and -23) the Giants and Packers played out a true epic. The Giants set the tone early, with a field goal march to open the game, highlighted with Brandon Jacobs running over Charles Woodson, a pointed statement to the Packers that this would still be a highly physical fight despite the frozen conditions. The Giants added another field goal on a drive that, much like the rest of the game, featured a lot of Plaxico Burress. Matched up against bump-and-run extraordinaire Al Harris, Burress abused the pro-bowler, with 9 catches and 110 yards in the first half alone. The Packers offense was largely stagnant, but scored a dramatic 90-yard touchdown from Favre to Donal Driver: the longest touchdown in Packers playoff history. Then, despite the temperature still being low enough to make it the 3rd coldest NFL playoff game ever (behind the Ice Bowl and Freezer Bowl), the game itself heated up. The Giants and Packers and Giants again drove for touchdowns in a tightly played third quarter. The Giants first TD drive was the most memorable, as they got two straight 3rd Down conversions via penalties, as Harris was called for Pass Interference, and then Nick Collins called for roughing the passer. All this set up a 4th Quarter with the Giants leading 20-17. The Packers quickly tied the game with a field goal set up by a crazy play where Favre, after eluding a sack, blindly tossed one deep and was picked off by McQuarters, only for LT Mark Tauscher to force a fumble which was recovered by the Packers. From that moment on, the Giants dominated the game, but just couldn't put the Packers away. They stoned the Packers run game (Grant 11-19 on the day), and force Packers punt after punt, but the Giants couldn't capitalize. First, midway through the quarter, Tynes pushed a 43-yarder. They traded punts before the Giants forced another Packers 3-and-out, where the craziness reached its apex. On the punt return, McQuarters was stripped, and three Packers had a good chance to recover the ball around the 50. The Packers were that close to potentially stealing the game (they were outgained on the day 377-264), but Dominik Hixon jumped on the ball. After gaining two first downs, the Giants were in position to win the game, but on the last play of regulation Tynes shanked a 38-yarder giving the Packers one more chance. The Packers did win the toss, but on Favre's final throw as a Packer, he threw behind Donal Driver and Corey Webster picked him off. Three plays later, with the Giants now facing a field goal longer than either of the two 4th Quarter misses, Coughlin called on Tynes one more time. The third time really was the charm, and Tynes just nailed the 47-yarder. The Lambeau crowd that was loud throughout fell into an eery silence. They must all have felt that they waited out four hours of an epic football game in epic weather just to see the Giants come in and end Favre's dream season, and in the end, his Packer career.

Interesting/Memorable Play: Plaxico Burress was just insane. He caught every type of pass against  Harris. Quick posts, fade routes, fade stops, crossing routes, deep throws, quick outs. It was just masterful. During the game, after making his 8th catch, he went over the the Packers sideline and shouted "You Can't Cover Me! This Fucker Can't Cover Me!". And the Packers switched Woodson on him for a play, and Burress caught another one. Just an exceptional game.

Interesting/Memorable Moment: Lawrence Tynes would get his 15 minutes of fame, appearing on Dave Letterman the next week. He was, surprisingly, a good guest, quipping that after he missed the 2nd field goal he was "thinking what it would be like to live in Green Bay" in fear of what the NYC crowd would do to him.

Interesting/Memorable Moments: The cold did wreak havoc on the game, and it led to some great moments. First, was Michael Strahan's perfect speech before the game, where he stated "the past is the fucking past. This is the present. Cold is temporary, a Championship is Forever." The cold is probably best remembered, though, for what it did to Tom Coughlin's face, as he became as red and frozen as a strawberry popsicle.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: Something that really helps this game was just how aesthetically beautiful. The Packers green jersey is quite brilliant, and the Giants road uniforms (despite, oddly, not featuring blue) are the better of the two. Either way, with the uniforms, the almost white field and the  dark, isolating feel of Green Bay, the game itself just looked like you were watching an epic film more than a football game.

1.) 2006 AFC Championship – (A4) Patriots 34 @ (A3) Colts 38

Review: This might just go down as the most famous non-Super Bowl in the modern NFL. It was the game that best personified the Manning/Brady rivalry, as it was the first time both really played well in the same game, and that combined with a little comeback, some crazy scores and a great finish equated two the best Championship Game maybe ever. It all started out so normal for Colts fans, as the Patriots looked like the Patriots from their dynasty days, and the Colts looked like little sheep. After trading punts, the Patriots sandwiched a Colts field goal with two TDs that both featured 4th down conversions during the drive. Then, already up 14-3 midway through the 2nd, Asante Samuel picked off Manning and raced back for what looked to be a game-stopper. The Patriots compounded this dominance by sacking Manning twice on the next drive (although they nearly allowed a 97-yard TD to Marvin Harrison), and driving on their next possession inside the 20, until a little offensive-pass interference pushed that drive back. The Patriots had to punt, and the Colts put together their first real fluid drive of the game right before the half. They had to settle for a field goal, but the game was back to normal pace, and, as many Patriots would later attest, Manning had figured it out. 32 points in the 2nd Half later, that much was obvious. The Colts first scored TDs on back-to-back possessions to start the 3rd quarter, erasing the 15 point deficit in 11 minutes. The Patriots answered with a crazy scrambling TD toss after a long kick-off return by Hobbs. The Colts answered that with a TD drive that included a beautiful sideline post route to Dallas Clark. That score happened early in the 4th Quarter, which would prove to be among the most dramatic quarters in NFL history. First, the teams traded punts and then they traded field goals. The Patriots were aided by good special teams returns, but also didn't get what looked like a pass interference call which forced them to kick a field goal to make it 34-31. Then, looking at 80 yards to potentially change his whole career, with just 3:43 on teh clock, Manning threw three straight incompletions. It was Manning fulfilling so many's worst impressions, as he "failed in the clutch." Luckily for Manning, Brady and the Pats, for what would be the first time late in a close playoff game, choked harder. Needing just one first down to essentially wrap up the game, the Pats were first called for a 12-man in the huddle penalty (something completely forgotten about the game), then after two quick completions, the Pats had a 3rd and 4. Four yards away from another win against the Colts. Four yards away from beating the Colts in their own building, and a date with an eminently beatable Chicago team. The Pats went for the kill, as they spread the field and tried to hit Troy Brown on a route that he's run hundreds of times, but Sanders read it and nearly picked off Brady. Manning got one more chance to perform big in the clutch, and that he did. Against a furious pass rush, Manning completed a quick 11-yarder to Wayne, a deep post for 32 to Fletcher off his back foot and a 21-yarder to Wayne. Then, with 1st and 10 at the 11, the Colts did the most un-Colts-like thing: run three straight times, pounding it down the "physical" Pats. Addai scored on 3rd and 3, finally giving the Colts the lead. The Patriots would go as far as midfield on the next drive, but Brady finally threw a pick at a 'clutch' moment, as Marlin Jackson caught it and slid to the ground, hugging the ball. The RCA Dome exploded like never before, and the rivalry, and league in general (I'll get to this) was never the same.

Interesting/Memorable Plays: Three lineman scored touchdowns in this game. One was the Colts pulling a Belichick on the Pats, with Manning tossing a 1-yard pass to Dan Klecko, but the other two made for an eery coincidence, as both Logan Mankins and Jeff Saturday recovered fumbles by their running back in the end zone for touchdowns.

Interesting/Memorable Player: Reche Caldwell had a notoriously awful game. He had just two catches, and two infamous drops. One was a wide-open drop in the end zone. The other was more infamous, as the play started with teh Colts having only 10 guys on defense, and leaving Caldwell wide open. Caldwell furiously waved his arms trying to get Brady's attention, but never could. By the time the ball was snapped the Colts were racing over the Caldwell, but he dropped a simple catch. Of course, nothing is more memorable from Caldwell than his deer eyes.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: This was the largest comeback ever in a conference championship game, with the Colts coming down from 21-3. The Colts also set a record for most points in the 2nd Half of a Title Game, with 32. From the 2:00 Warning of the 1st to the end of the game, the Colts outscored the Pats 35-13, and outgained them 289-115.

Interesting/Memorable Fact: I'll write more about this later, but this game was arguably the game that started the NFL's paradigm shift to offense-first teams. The previous six teams to win teh Super Bowl before 2006 (Ravens, Pats, Bucs, Steelers) were all defense first teams that allowed under 300 points. Including the '06 Colts, the last six (Colts, Giants twice, Steelers, Saints, Packers) have been more mixed, with four allowing more than 300 points, including the three of the four highest totals for  Super Bowl winning teams. The game also signalled the end of the defense-first Patriots that won Super Bowls. Fuming over the offenses inability to put up more points in teh 2nd half, the Pats went out and traded for Stallworth, Welker and Moss and turned into an offensive juggernaut. The modern pass-happy NFL started that night, and all because Brady couldn't complete a simple 4-yard pass to Troy Brown.