be thankful you're living, drink up and go home
conference championships!
The backup quarterbacks for the final four teams include three former second overall picks and one former first-round QB from his draft class:
Carson Wentz (2nd overall, 2016 NFL Draft)
Marcus Mariota (2nd overall, 2015 NFL Draft)
Mitchell Trubisky (2nd overall, 2017 NFL Draft)
Kenny Pickett (20th overall, 2022 NFL Draft, first QB selected in his class)
Three of them are/were on the Eagles, and all four of them have spent time in Pennsylvania.
Three consecutive 2nd overall picks (2015-2017), at that. And the 2nd overall pick in 2018 was Saquon Barkley.
Von Miller and Jayden Daniels make it six second overall picks on the four teams remaining.
Only one of the remaining teams has three NVP winning QBs on their roster.
Eugene Pitt, a doo-wop singer, sang the “Nick Nick Nick Nick Ni-Nick Nick Nick, Nickelodeon” jingle.
Terry Stewart, President & CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, called Pitt "the most underrated soul singer in America.”
Eugene's cousin, Elijah Pitts, was an NFL running back and long-time assistant coach.
Pitts' elder son Ron (b. 1962) was an NFL defensive back in the late 1980s with the Bills and Packers, and is currently a sportscaster for CBS Sports Network.
Unfortunately, almost exactly a month ago to the day, longtime former NFL On CBS broadcaster Greg Gumbel died at the age of 78.
Gumbel was one of the original members of ESPN in 1979 and had done NFL play-by-play since 1998.
Within its first year, ESPN was nearly bankrupt because it struggled to convince cable companies to carry the network. A last-minute influx of sponsorship money from Anheuser-Busch saved it.
The company secured its first major sponsor, Anheuser-Busch, which contributed $1.4 million in advertising. This partnership was crucial for ESPN’s early survival.
Minutes after the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50, Peyton Manning told a CBS sideline reporter that his postgame plan was to "drink a lot of Budweiser." Later at the podium, Manning answered a question about retirement with this line: "I'm going to drink a lot of beer tonight ... Budweiser."
Those two plugs were worth $3.2 million in equivalent advertising time for Budweiser, according to sponsorship firm Apex MG Analytics.
Manning owns a stake of two of the mega-brewer's distributors in his native state of Louisiana, according to trade publication Beer Business Daily.
Today, the majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a brewery, according to the Brewers Association trade group, with the number of producers ballooning from just 89, in 1978, to 9,906, in 2023. As a result, the craft brewing industry employs around 460,000 people nationwide.
But after an extended period of breakneck growth, the number of breweries declined this year, with 335 craft breweries opening and 399 closing, according to the Brewers Association.
In early June, the Kelce brothers became “significant owners and operators” of Garage Beer, a small-batch brewing company out of Columbus, Ohio.
Even though the brothers recently became Garage Beer co-owners, the NFL has strict rules about players promoting alcohol. Travis’ teammate Patrick Mahomes is currently dealing with the same issue thanks to his deal with Coors Light.
Mahomes recently skirted these rules by filming a Coors Light commercial that will be placed in a time capsule until after he's retired.
The only QBs to meet more frequently in the postseason than Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
The last QB to beat Patrick Mahomes in Arrowhead: Aidan O'Connell (Christmas 2023).
Most Playoff Wins by a QB in NFL History:
1. Tom Brady: 35
T-2. Patrick Mahomes, Joe Montana: 16
Numbers with Bet Openly
30: Saquon Barkley wouldn’t even rank among the top 30 highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL with his Eagles contract. For context: Gabe Davis signed for more with the Jaguars in free agency (because he’s a WR) than Saquon got (because he’s a RB).
2: Jayden Daniels has now tied Dak Prescott in career playoff wins in his rookie season
3: Lamar Jackson’s playoff stats so far in his career: 13 total touchdowns, 11 turnovers. 8 games played with a 3-5 record
4.2 [TRIVIA]: Which QB is playing the cleanest football of any QB in NFL HISTORY. This season he has the lowest pct of plays with a sack, fumble or INT (4.2%) since the merger. (incl. playoffs, min. 500 plays)
Quotes
"He fucking hates it."
An unnamed associate of Dan Snyder who attended the London dinner with him. According to the article, this associate shared Snyder's reaction to the Commanders' success after selling the team when asked by a colleague back in the U.S.
“I’d love to go to the Titans. I’d be thankful.”
“I have no reason of saying this other than being a hater. The Bills or whatever NFC team gotta beat the Chiefs. We can’t let them keep getting away with this.”
"Cancun on 3! 1, 2, 3,"
What Jayden Daniels wrote on the bottom of the jersey he swapped with Lions' defensive end Terrion Arnold
“And I know that sounds crazy, but I guarantee there’s some girls who’s trying to get their hooks into Jayden Daniels. So thank god he got a mama like me because it ain’t happening.”
Picks
Sunday, Jan 26 at 3pm
Commanders +6 at Eagles (U46.5)
Washington has 69% of the bets and 67% of the money
Eagles' Performance:
Philadelphia has been outgained in both playoff games and four of their last five games.
The offense has relied on big plays (e.g., touchdowns of 78, 62, and 44 yards against the Rams), masking their struggles with consistency (2.9 yards per play outside those plays).
Jalen Hurts' health is uncertain, which is a potential advantage for the Commanders.
Key Matchup Factors:
Fourth Down: Eagles rank 24th in defending fourth-down conversions (63%), while Washington excels in this area.
Rushing Defense: Eagles allowed Kyren Williams to average 5.3 yards per carry and struggled against Matthew Stafford’s Rams, benefiting from weather-related turnovers.
First Two Matchups:
Week 11: Eagles contained the Commanders’ offense, holding Terry McLaurin to one catch. However, Washington led 10-6 entering the fourth quarter.
Second Matchup: Eagles were on track for a blowout before Jalen Hurts’ concussion. The defense struggled against Jayden Daniels, who has since improved and is trending upward.
Daniels vs. Hurts Trends:
As an underdog, Jayden Daniels is 5-2-1 against the spread (71.4%), covering by 7.8 points per game.
As a favorite of four or more points, Jalen Hurts is 15-20-2 (43%) and just 6-12-1 over the past two seasons.
Outlook:
Washington has advantages in key areas, and Daniels is poised for a strong performance against an inconsistent Eagles team with multiple question marks.
Sunday, Jan 26 at 6:30pm
Bills at Chiefs -1.5 (O48.5)
KC has 74% of the bets and 76% of the money
Bills vs. Chiefs in the Playoffs:
Buffalo has struggled to beat Kansas City in the playoffs despite regular-season success.
This matchup may represent Buffalo's best chance in recent playoff history.
Patrick Mahomes Playoff Trends:
When Mahomes is an underdog or a favorite of three or fewer points, he’s highly reliable:
27-9-1 ATS in his career.
Mahomes is 3-0 SU and ATS against Josh Allen in playoff games, covering by an average of 6.7 points per game.
Heavyweight Trends:
Freezing Temperatures:
At home, Mahomes is 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in freezing conditions.
Close Spread Games:
As an underdog or a small favorite (three or fewer points), Mahomes thrives ATS.
Home/Neutral Site Record:
Mahomes is 15-2 SU in these games, with the only losses coming to Tom Brady (2019) and Joe Burrow (2021) in AFC Championship Games.
Conclusion:
Mahomes' track record in high-stakes situations and his dominance in critical metrics make him a tough bet against, especially in this matchup.
Record
OU: 55-46-2 (+4.05 u)
ATS: 53-63-4 (-14.77 u)
Highlights
NFL Films footage of the 78 Yard Saquon Barkley run
Lamar Jackson told Mark Andrews on the sideline that “we’re a team” after his drop.
“It’s not his fault. We’re not gonna put that on Mark.”
Terry McLaurin pregame speech: "When this money is gone, when this fame is gone, the only thing you got is your name and your reputation."
Drew Brees breaks down those long play calls he used to say in the huddle