every chance to win when washington lands in france
Divisional Round!
Incredible, but true. Bo Nix to Troy Franklin is the first rookie to rookie TD in NFL playoff history.
One year ago, Nick Dunlap became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour in 33 years.
A rookie quarterback has never won — or started — a Super Bowl.
There are four second-year quarterbacks to start a Super Bowl who have gone on to actually win:
Kurt Warner (1999)
Tom Brady (2001)
Ben Roethlisberger (2005)
Russell Wilson (2013)
Three other second-year quarterbacks have reached the Big Game but lost:
Dan Marino (1984)
Colin Kaepernick (2012)
Joe Burrow (2022)
Rams rookie Jared Verse says, "I hate Eagles fans. "They're so annoying. I hate Eagles fans," before playoff game in Philadelphia.
He played them once, in week 12, in LA at SoFi Stadium.
To be fair, he’s from Pennsylvania. I kind of feel like if you’re from a team’s state, you are permitted to hate them.
The 24-year-old played tight end at Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and then shifted to defense at Albany College.
He transferred to Florida State University and was a first-round pick by Los Angeles in the 2024 NFL draft.
Saquon Barkley on Jared Verse saying he hates Eagles fans: Probably not the smartest thing to say when you’re coming to Philadelphia.”
Verse two months ago on Barkley: “He’s a different type of player. I’ve never seen a running back like that.”
Here’s a random Reddit comment about Verse from a month ago:
Anyway, like I was saying, he’s from Bloomburg – which is the only Pennsylvania municipality incorporated as a town.
When Sam Darnold was a rookie, some Jets offensive linemen took the front wheels off Darnold's SUV as retaliation for receiving poor presents at Christmas time. Darnold gave them each a personalized set of grilling tools and a $300 gift card to buy steaks. That did not appear to be enough.
Now six teams are tied for the most sacks in a playoff game with nine sacks. The Rams had 6 sacks against Darnold in the first half and finished with nine.
The Vikings set a record for sack yardage in a playoff game (82), and T-7 all time (Archie Manning is #1 with 101).
“HE’S HOLDING IT TOO LONG! THROW IT MAN!”
Paul Allen as Sam Darnold is sacked for the 5th time in 2 quarters with Pete Bercich for KFXN in Minneapolis.
The Vikings still haven’t had a QB start all games in a season for consecutive years since 16 game expansion in 1978.
Assuming Darnold doesn’t play for the Vikings next year, we are looking at 53+ years before it happens.
Fifty-three years ago was 1978, when the Dolphins became the first and only team to have a perfect season.
In 1978, the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex occurred, marking the start of the political scandal that would lead to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974.
Nixon was a third-string guard for the Whittier College Poets, his hometown team. Though he rarely played, he revered his coach, Wallace Newman, whom he credited as a key influence.
Nixon’s passion for football influenced his political strategies. He befriended prominent coaches like Woody Hayes and George Allen, even consulting Allen on plays. Nixon once pondered recruiting Vince Lombardi as his vice-presidential candidate, only to learn the coach was a Democrat.
Nixon reportedly suggested plays to the Washington Redskins, including a controversial reverse during a playoff game in 1971. Though the play failed, it underscored Nixon’s unusual hands-on approach to football.
Speaking of corruption and Nixon: the Packers fumbled, and it looks like Keisean Nixon has control of the ball while on the ground and then the ball was taken from him. Refs reviewed and said Eagles got the ball.
“I got the ball back for sure and then it should’ve been targeting, helmet to helmet,” Nixon said. “I’ve never been hit that hard.”
Richard Nixon’s intervention in N.F.L. blackout policies reflected his dedication to football fans. In 1972, frustrated by local blackouts of playoff games, he pushed for reforms, culminating in Congress passing a law to lift blackouts for sold-out games. This set a precedent for modern broadcasting policies.
During Richard Nixon’s presidency, he maintained an "enemies list" that included various public figures, journalists, and celebrities who opposed him or his administration’s policies. The list was a reflection of Nixon’s paranoia and his efforts to discredit those he considered adversaries
Of the 19 available jersey numbers for quarterbacks, only four have yet to be worn by the winning QB in the Super Bowl:
1
2
6
19
We started with two playoff QBs 2 playoff QBs that could break their numbers' drought. With the Bucs losing, it’s down to Jalen Hurts.
The number with the most Super Bowl wins is 12:
Joe Namath: Super Bowl III
Roger Staubach: Super Bowls VI, XII
Bob Griese: Super Bowls VII, VIII
Terry Bradshaw: Super Bowls IX, X, XIII, XIV
Ken Stabler: Super Bowl XI
Tom Brady: Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI, LIII, LV
Aaron Rodgers: Super Bowl XLV
This totals 14 Super Bowl victories associated with the number 12.
Numbers with Bet Openly
22.65: The Lions were the most-watched team in the NFL this season & averaged 22.65 million viewers per game.
14: The Minnesota Vikings are the first 14-win team in NFL history to lose in the wild card round. With this great achievement the Minnesota Vikings now have sole possession of the worst 13 AND 14 win teams ever.
2002: Since they were founded in 2002, the Texans have more playoff wins than the Cowboys
7 [TRIVIA]: With the Packers eliminated, No. 7 seeds will be 1-9. Who was the only team a 7 seed beat?
Quotes
“Dad, I love this game and I’ll die on the field for this game.”
Tua Tagovailoa to his Dad, as told by Galu Tagovailoa to ESPN Honolulu
“Probably not the smartest thing to say when you’re coming to Philadelphia.”
Saquon Barkley on Jared Verse saying he hates Eagles fans
“It bothers me that Bryce Young is already on his third play-caller and he’s only played two seasons. Caleb Williams is going to be on his third play-caller sometime next September. That to me is a miss."
Peyton Manning on young QB development
"It's Saleh or bust, really. Because they haven't done much work with anybody else to this point. I've heard they already told Saleh 'We will make you the highest paid DC in all the land if you sign with us.' So now it's just a matter of waiting for Saleh."
Matt Barrows on 49ers DC search
“Yeah, no doubt. When we’re older, we’ll probably laugh about it, but right now, it’s serious. I ain’t laughing with you. For real.”
Lamar was asked if he’ll always be linked to Allen since they’re from the same draft class
Picks
Saturday, 12/18 at 4:30pm
Texans (+8.5) at Chiefs U41.5
Public Betting Trends:
79% of total tickets wagered are on the Over, with 70% of the Bets
Public bettors are heavily favoring the over in the Texans vs. Chiefs game.
Professional Betting Activity:
Sharp bettors are backing the under, creating a notable divergence from public sentiment.
Line Movement:
DraftKings opened the total at 43.5 on Sunday.
Professional action caused a 2-point drop to a consensus of 41.5.
Impact of Weather:
Today in Kansas City, Missouri, it's sunny with a high of 25°F and a low of 8°F
Saturday, 12/18 at 8pm
Commanders at Lions (-8.5) O55.5
The Lions will face a rookie quarterback in the NFC Divisional Round due to the Commanders' upset.
Rookie quarterbacks have historically faced challenges in the NFL Divisional Round. Since 1950, they have a combined record of 5 wins and 7 losses in this round. Notably, only Mark Sanchez (2009 with the Jets) and Joe Flacco (2008 with the Ravens) have secured multiple road playoff victories as rookies.
Lions’ Offensive Strength:
Highest-scoring team in the league, with a dominant rushing attack.
Commanders' run defense ranks 26th in DVOA and faced the lowest opponent Pass Rate Over Expectation (PROE) during the season.
Challenges for the Commanders’ Offense:
Rookie QB Jayden Daniels needs to play nearly flawless football.
Lions defense excels in forcing turnovers (top-five interception rate; Kerby Joseph led the league with nine).
Hostile environment at Ford Field.
Commanders’ offensive line has vulnerabilities.
Key Injuries:
Lions’ G Kevin Zeitler is out, but he is considered the least impactful starter on their offensive line.
Lions’ Consistency:
Lions had three wins of at least 38 points during the regular season.
Likely to maintain pressure even with a big lead.
Sunday, 12/19 at 3pm
Rams at Eagles U43.5
The Under has 29% of the bets and 34% of the money
Saturday, 12/18 at 6:30pm (YES, 6:30PM Sunday Night Football)
Ravens at Bills U51.5
The Under has 47% of the bets and 58% of the money
Record
OU: 53-44-2 (+4.23 u)
ATS: 53-61-4 (-12.77 u)
Highlights
Doink to Divisional Round
Khalil Shakir thought Curtis Samuel was asking him to jump in his lap during Samuel's touchdown celebration
Terry McLaurin reacts to winning his first ever playoff game with the Commanders
Texans block Cameron Dicker's XP attempt and convert for 2