That's basically about as perfect a performance, from the running on the first drive - including a called QB draw in teh red zone - to his incredible throwing, with a few of his patented hydro-laser throws deep to Diggs and Sanders. That was a perfect game by teh Bills as a whole (more on that later), but Allen in particular was just incredible. His ability to improve year over year has just been amazing turning from a raw, but sneakily athletic marvel to a more polished, dynamic, and still sneakily athletic marvel.
Runner-Up: Patrick Mahomes (QB, KC)
Mahomes wasn't nearly as good as Allen; he was downright iffy in the first quarter missing throws and completely missing TJ Watt on the interception. But my god that stretch from the drive after the Watt TD up through the dagger TD to Hill to go up 35-7 and that was peak Mahomes, throwing bullets off structure rolling to his right with a flick of his rest. There was some accuracy issues when guys weren't wide open but when he can throw over into holes most can't, it doesn't matter. That was 2018-19 Mahomes in a big way.
Goat of the Week: Cowboys Coaching Staff
I'm saying the whole staff because beyond the clock and game management issues that were squarely on McCarthy, the offensive game plan was mostly bizarre, down to that senseless QB draw, that was all on Kellen Moore. Even special teams coordinator John Fassel got in on the inaction where after his great fake punt (though it was so obvious seemingly), they pulled that stupid attempt to try to get the 49ers to take a timeout. But back to the clock management and game management, the pathetic punts, the field goal when down 16, not just running a regular play rather than the fake punt (which again, worked). So much of that was a disaster.
Runner-Up: Refs in Bengals, Raiders
Honestly, my issue wasn't even the missed whistle. It's a glaring mistake, and the NFL's ridiculous attempt to wash it away was hilarious. But in all honesty, I don't think it had a huge impact on that play, and the Raiders didn't even complain all that much at the time. The rest of that game, however, was also a mess with the officiating - from taking forever to make calls, to bad penalties over all. The Raiders committed a lot of penalties, to be sure, but some were just bad calls. The officiating the rest of the week, odd moments by the umpire in the Dallas game aside, was fine, so the terrible Jerome Boger game stood out even more as just not what we should be getting in playoff officiating.
Surprise of the Week: Bengals pass defense
The Bengals aren't a great defense. They still aren't. Their pass rush was good but not great in that game. What really stood out was how good their pass defense was throughout, from the guys we expect to be good to the fill-ins at safety. The Bengals secondary was continuously right there with Raider receivers - did a brilliant job on Hunter Renfrow, a decent one on Darren Waller, and just locked up that last goal to go. Their red zone offense has to get better, but the red zone defense was on point.
Runner-Up: Von Miller
Von Miller has had a pretty slow run in LA since coming over midseason but slowly getting better week by week. Well, he showed out huge in this game, and even more surprising was Von's great play against the run and chasing screens - both aspects crucial to beating the Cardinals offense, but helpful against the Bucs as well. Miller had a big reputation to fulfill, and has a postseason track record of being doninant. Well, he really gets his chance now against Brady.
Disappointment of the Week: Eagles run game
Admittedly I did not watch much of that game. There were two ways it would go - the Eagles run game would play well as it has for teh last half of the season, shorten the game and keep it close. Or the Eagles run game would not show up, putting a spotlight on all the other issues the Eagles have, and we would get a laugher. Without fail we got the second scenario and it was a disaster. It wasn't like they were unsuccessful when they ran, they just got way too smart and didn't run enough. I sometimes hate when people say that, but in this case where Hurts is by and large still a bit overmatches as a thrower, you need to lean into the thing you're actually really good at, and they just didn't.
Runner-Up: Pittsburgh Steelers, All Around
The Steelers weren't a good team; they are teh type of #7 seed we all feared when the playoffs were expanded. But man was that just a depressing performance, more so from a defense that had five great drives to start and then apparently just stopped trying. Despite being down just 14-7 in the two minute warning, they just stopped. The passing offense was as putrid as always. I still don't quite understand it, to be honest, this hyper-quick short passing game that just never got off the ground. Ben's arm isn't great, but its not nearly as poor as Peyton's was by that last season but they never even let Ben try (or Ben himself just gave up). In the end, they at least allowed us another great Mahomes performance.
Team Performance of the Week: Bills Everything
I already talked about the QB, so let's go with everyone else here. How about the OL that didn't allow a sack and road grating the Pats the entire game, or Devin Singletary for squiggling his way to 2-3 extra yards every time? How about Knox catching that first TD on what Allen admitted was a throwaway? How about the defense without Tre'davious White balling out in the secondary - of course capped with Micah Hyde's ridiculous interception? How about the front just stuffing the Patriots running game when it was a competitive game in the first half. The Bills were about perfect in every way.
Runner-Up: San Francisco 49ers DL
No Joey Bosa for a third of the game? No issue - the 49ers pressured Dak constantly, sacking him five times, with their backups abusing what was one of the better OLs. They dominated in the running game, not letting either Zeke or Pollard to get going. I do hope Bosa clears concussion protocols for next week but it has to be a good feeling for the 49ers to get that amount of pressure even without Bosa. Just a massive performance by that group in a game where their offense was less productive than expected.
Team Laydown of the Week: Patriots Everything
I try not to make the positives and negatives ones converses of each other, but in this case it fit. On paper this was the AFC's answer to 49ers @ Cowboys - two really godo teams competing. Well, one didn't show up, at all. Mac Jones was OK, but even before the pick he had to convert a 3rd adn 16 and 3rd and 10 - not sustainable at all. The defense which is the supposed strength got sliced apart even worse than they did four weeks ago - when the Bills got through that game without punting either. It is amazing how good that Patriots defense was against minnows, but how poor they played anytime they had to face a real QB and a real offense. And this was the nadir - the first time since probably Super Bowl LII where they just looked hopeless.
Runner-Up: Cardinals Offensive Creativity
I'm not a proponent of Kliff Kingsbury getting fired but it is shocking how poor and basic that offense seemed, how the Rams seemed to know every key, how unable Kyler was to do anything in script. Losing Hopkins is big, but they did nothing to get Edmunds in space, or do any of the things that let them roll against the Rams the first time around in Los Angeles when they rolled up 200+ yards both rushing and receiving. The Cardinals slow burn from 10-2 to 11-7 was disheartening as was the creativity that made so much of the first part of their season fun.
Storyline that will be Beat Into the Ground: Over-Expanded Playoffs is a Blight on the World
This became a really hot position for a lot of people to take as both 2-7 matchups were blowouts. Let's analyze this in a few ways. Yes, it is true both were blowouts and so far three of the four 2v7 games were not competitive - the other one, though, might have been the best playoff game period last season (Colts @ Bills). Also had the Raiders just settled for that damn tie (or the Colts not lost to Jacksonville) we probably get a better AFC game. Finally, while I would admit that we could probably do without that playoff game, what this really does is give a lot more teams something to care about late in the season: fighting for that 7th seed. Much like the play-in for the NBA had a decent amount of blowouts last year (and admittedly a few great games), it also invigorated teams and fanbases that otherwise would have checked out. For that, I am ok with it. The real hidden change is....
Storyline that Should be Beat Into the Ground: The rest advantage now for the #1 seed
From 2013 through 2019 (e.g. the last seven years pre-playoff expansion), 10 of the 14 Super Bowl participants were the #1 seeds. I don't expect that ratio to go down anytime soon, especially as we see with such clarity the even bigger edge the #1 seed has now. Both teh Titans and Packers got to rest, and more pointedly got even more time to get players back, from Derrick Henry and a more healthy AJ Brown on the Titans side, to Jaire Alexander, Zadarius Smith, David Bakhtiari, et. al., for the Packers. Also the #2 seeds that would've been resting now had to play, and in the Bucs case have some new injury concerns on what would have been a rest week (Wirfs, Jensen, both now questionable). People always wanted the #1 seed, but now you really want it, adn we'll see if the advantages gained by the Packers and Titans work in their favor - specifically Tennssee who with those guys back is very different than the seemingly questinable 'weakest #1 seed' team Tennessee had earned.
