2025 NFL Playoffs Thread

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Because they win.

They were a Bills like loveable fanbase...until they started to win (and I still wouldn't call them the cringiest).

Andy Reid always seemed pretty well liked around the NFL and fanbases to me...not sure people really hold mistakes his adult kids made against him.

And there are a lot of NFL franchises that have embraced abusive players (Steelers, Browns, Bengals, etc just to name a few).

In the end those things are magnified because they win, if they didn't win then nobody would probably really mention any of those things.

Not a lot of franchises/fanbases are as outwardly racist as the Chiefs, though. The only other one I can think of in recent memory were Commanders fans who lost their #### when they changed the team name

[GirlySports]

People hate the Cowboys and they lose all the time.

The last time they made the NFC Championship, Hurts and Daniels weren't even born.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

People hate the Cowboys and they lose all the time.

The last time they made the NFC Championship, Hurts and Daniels weren't even born.

People hate the Cowboys because they are "America's Team", and are the most recognisable franchise in the NFL. They don't need to win for fans to hate them. Same as The Yankees, Leafs (in Canada), and Lakers. Those four teams don't need to win for most fans to hate them. They amount of coverage those four teams garner is significantly more than nearly every other team in their respective leagues.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

Former VP of officiating Walt Anderson says both personal fouls on Mahomes were the correct calls.

https://www.thescore.com/news/319490...bLrsOz6R2ymaLA

I do think the league/officiating bias towards the Chiefs is overplayed. People are looking for connections/reasons why the Chiefs win all the time, just as with Brady and Patriots during their dynasty. People thought the Pats got beneficial treatment as well, despite the four game suspension for Deflategate.

I have a few friends who are die hard Chiefs haters, and they constantly chirp saying the Chiefs only win because of this league bias. It's honestly baffling. The Texans only put up 12 points, and were never in a position to win the game. I'm not saying officiating is perfect, as I do think quarterbacks are judged at a different merit. Lamar took some hits yesterday that looked like penalties, as did Hurts on that fumble. If anything running quarterbacks are judged at a different level than a pocket passer like Mahomes who doesn't use the run very often.

I do understand why people don't like the Chiefs... but I don't buy into any conspiracy nonsense that the league wants them to win. This isn't a McDavid situation where one player is bigger than the team. The NFL generally trumps all no matter who is winning. They don't need one specific team to dominate the entertainment landscape. If anything they would have rigged it for Detroit, as they were more popular and exciting than Kansas City this year. The Chiefs are just a well run organization, with Andy Reid, Brett Veach, and co. doing a marvellous job running things. Having professionals on the sidelines like Reid and Spagnuolo is what separates the Chiefs from the pack. It's not the leagues doing.

Perhaps you missed Superbowl LVII, where probably the worst PI call in superbowl history handed the Chiefs that title?
One or two calls a game is all it takes, usually. And Chiefs get them.

[Senator Clay Davis]

First of all, it was holding and not PI. Second, it was a penalty without question, even Bradberry said it was. Third, the issue wasn't that it was a penalty, it was a penalty, it's just that all game they were letting them play and more egregious penalties in the same game didn't get a flag (including Bradberry having a blatant PI go uncalled earlier in the game), so to throw one in that moment was effectively changing how they were calling it at the most crucial moment, which was pretty annoying.

[rubecube]

Yeah, as an Eagles fan, it was a frustrating call but also the correct one.

I think the biggest issue I have with the officials in Chiefs games is the blatant offensive holding that doesn't get called. The Chiefs o-line is pretty mediocre in pass protection, but they essentially get away with tackling defenders on almost every play.

[EldrickOnIce]

Sure, it's the correct call - if you call it 20 times a game. If you make that weak a call ahead of 4th down in the SB in a tied game with 90 seconds left you essentially hand them the game, and maybe more importantly ruin the possibility of a fsbue end of game experience for anyone not a fan of the Chiefs.
Whatever. Let's go Buffalo

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Yeah, as an Eagles fan, it was a frustrating call but also the correct one.

I think the biggest issue I have with the officials in Chiefs games is the blatant offensive holding that doesn't get called. The Chiefs o-line is pretty mediocre in pass protection, but they essentially get away with tackling defenders on almost every play.

That and the right tackle gets away with being offside a lot. Plenty of videos of him moving out of his stance prior to the snap this season and not getting flagged.

[Sylvanfan]

Honestly I wish defensive holding was just enforced as a 5 yard penalty and replay the down. So if it's 3rd and 8...now it's 3rd and 3. Hell make it 10 yards if you must...but the automatic first down seems to bail our a lot of teams. It's 3rd and 18 and next thing a slight tug and the offensive team gets a huge break. I feel the same about personal fouls at times. You hit the QB too hard on a sack when it's 3rd and 22. Replay it as 3rd and 7.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Honestly I wish defensive holding was just enforced as a 5 yard penalty and replay the down. So if it's 3rd and 8...now it's 3rd and 3. Hell make it 10 yards if you must...but the automatic first down seems to bail our a lot of teams. It's 3rd and 18 and next thing a slight tug and the offensive team gets a huge break. I feel the same about personal fouls at times. You hit the QB too hard on a sack when it's 3rd and 22. Replay it as 3rd and 7.

5 yards isn't enough of a deterrent. Defenders would nearly always take a 5 yard penalty over getting beat for 10+ yards. I'm kind of okay with the automatic 1st down as holding and PI usually prevents bigger plays than the penalty yardage.

[Sylvanfan]

Well for today I have

Eagles -6 covering vs Washington and under 46.5.
I bet it at Eagles -5 and 48

Buffalo +2 winning outright and over 49.5.
Bet it at 1.5 and 48.

Bills complete the quartet with losses to every NFC East team in the Superbowl.

In the playoffs...3-6-1 on sides...I've sucked ass.
Totals I've been 7-3. Slightly above average.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Eagles 30 Washington 17
Bills 41 Chiefs 24

Only way I can see the Bills winning is a blowout. Washington is too terrible against the run and Payne is out.

[Sainters7]

I'll stick with my original picks going into the playoffs and go Eagles and Chiefs. I'll happily be wrong on both though, for the sake of some new blood in the Super Bowl.

Bills definitely feel like they could pick up a W. But it's a pretty tall order to go into Arrowhead for the AFCCG and pull out a W, we'll see if they can handle the pressure of the moment.

[Joborule]

Barkley is a madman.

[Paulie Walnuts]

18 play 3 point drive. 1 play 7 points lol.

[Sylvanfan]

If the Eagles get the TD here...this one may get out of hand quickly.

[White Out 403]

#### it, they will prob lose but how can you not cheer for the commanders right now? what a gutsy call

[DropIt]

Incredible fake call on 4th that would have been a huge hill to climb if they didn't get it

[SuperMatt18]

Oof that fumble is a back breaker

[3rd liner]

Commanders digging themselves a fairly deep hole here.