NFL Wild Card Weekend -- Nazareth, live from Philadelphia

[Twirling Time]

More common than you might think. Raiders and Titans in particular have this issue because they are in tourist magnet towns and fans of the flagship franchises look at it as a prime vacation opportunity with easier access to tickets than back home. And Titans leadership doesn't consider it an issue so much as a business model.

Welcome to Cowboy life. Thanks to the secondary market, any Dallas home game against a northern franchise (Steelers, Packers, all 3 NFC East foes etc.) is a license to cash in, thanks to Smiling Jerry. He got his already.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Deshaun Watson tears his Achilles again.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Deshaun Watson tears his Achilles again.

Every once in a while karma whacks you with a cricket bat.

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

I love it when bad things happen to bad people.

 

[outofplace]

https://www.steelers.com/news/wild-card-injury-report-ravens

I posted the link earlier, but didn't read the comment from John Harbaugh that closely. Some folks in Pittsburgh are taking his comment about Zay Flowers as Harbaugh looking past the Steelers by ashuming the Ravens will be playing again next week.

"Zay Flowers is not going to be able to make it to the game this week, so he'll get started again next week, and we'll move forward with the guys we have," said Harbaugh.

I've never focused much on bulletin board material for a playoff game, when players shouldn't need any extra motivation, but Harbaugh might have this one thrown back at him if the Steelers can pull of the upset.

 

[Oz]

Of course, the Steelers would need to pull a 180 from the past month to accomplish that. Not sure they're capable at this point, but I'm an optimist, so I won't completely rule it out.

 

[outofplace]

Of course, the Steelers would need to pull a 180 from the past month to accomplish that. Not sure they're capable at this point, but I'm an optimist, so I won't completely rule it out.

I can rattle off reasons why this game could be different from the one a few weeks ago.
1. The defense is healthy. They started the regular season game without two starters and lost both corners during the game.
2. Lamar Jackson has a history of coming up short in the playoffs.
3. Lamar Jackson has a history of coming up short against the Steelers.
4. Zay Flowers was out. He had a big game when the Ravens beat the Steelers.
5. Russell Wilson won't necessarily have two brutal turnovers this time.
6. The Steelers did beat the Ravens once this season.

Unfortunately, there are answers to these.
1. The defense struggles with communication, something the Ravens seem to attack well.
2 and 3. Jackson has taken a step forward as a player this year, so those struggles could be in the past.
4. The Ravens have plenty of weapons other than Flowers.
5. Wilson didn't just make two bad plays that night. He has been pretty lousy for a month.
6. That time the Steelers beat the Ravens was in Pittsburgh. This one is in Baltimore.

Oy.

 

[tapintoamerica]

I can rattle off reasons why this game could be different from the one a few weeks ago.
1. The defense is healthy. They started the regular season game without two starters and lost both corners during the game.
2. Lamar Jackson has a history of coming up short in the playoffs.
3. Lamar Jackson has a history of coming up short against the Steelers.
4. Zay Flowers was out. He had a big game when the Ravens beat the Steelers.
5. Russell Wilson won't necessarily have two brutal turnovers this time.
6. The Steelers did beat the Ravens once this season.

Unfortunately, there are answers to these.
1. The defense struggles with communication, something the Ravens seem to attack well.
2 and 3. Jackson has taken a step forward as a player this year, so those struggles could be in the past.
4. The Ravens have plenty of weapons other than Flowers.
5. Wilson didn't just make two bad plays that night. He has been pretty lousy for a month.
6. That time the Steelers beat the Ravens was in Pittsburgh. This one is in Baltimore.

Oy.

The Steelers are 5-1 vs. Baltimore in the playoffs. The only time the Steelers have played in Charm City, things didn't go well for the home team.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

Deshaun Watson tears his Achilles again.

he didn't even ask for that to happen

 

[tapintoamerica]

Broncos make playoffs while paying Russell Wilson $38,000,000 to go away compels a question: What's the record for dead salary incurred by a playoff team? Do teams routinely make the playoffs while facing this degree of financial hindrance? I have no clue.

 

[da man]

Broncos make playoffs while paying Russell Wilson $38,000,000 to go away compels a question: What's the record for dead salary incurred by a playoff team? Do teams routinely make the playoffs while facing this degree of financial hindrance? I have no clue.

Having a rookie QB helps A LOT in this regard.

 

[tapintoamerica]

Having a rookie QB helps A LOT in this regard.

And a decent-to-good one at that.