It is that time of the year again people, this is not a drill. The Super Bowl is just around the corner. Soon after that we have free agency, and then the NFL Draft. It cannot get much better. With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at what happened this past weekend and who the winners and losers were.
Loser – “America’s Team” The Dallas Cowboys
This was a long time coming for the self-proclaimed “America’s team” and it finally happened. The Dallas Cowboys are the NFL’s seventh victim to the Brock Purdy led 49ers. And this loss left Dallas fans in shambles as they took to the internet and voiced their many frustrations. These frustrations were primarily around their franchise quarterback Dak Prescott.
With roughly six minutes remaining in the first quarter, Prescott made the first of what would be many mistakes for this Cowboys offense. Late release, sloppy footwork, and not the best read lead to a costly turnover that set up San Francisco right near their red zone. But to pin this entirely on Dak Prescott seems a bit unfair as Michael Gallup provided no help and allowed the defender to get to an easy interception and start what would be a long day for Dallas.
Another costly mistake came from the special teams unit. This is an aspect of the game that many fans overlook, but this mistake cost the Cowboys six on the board. KaVontae Turpin had it – all he had to do was cut outside and he was free. Instead he took it inside and tried to go between two tacklers, getting taken down at the 40. You cannot complain too much as this is solid field position, but a score would have bailed out a struggling Dallas offense.
To finish things off, head coach Mike McCarthy failed to demonstrate leadership. Everybody has heard the saying, “act like you have been there.” McCarthy failed to do that and shoved a camera man out of his way as he was making a swift exit after another failed playoff run. Despite all of this Jerry Jones has stood by his coaches side ensuring his job is not at stake.
Winner – The Philadelphia Eagles
What a weekend it was to be an Eagle. Fans got to witness their favorite team steamroll their division rival New York Giants. They then woke up the next morning and got to watch the Dallas Cowboys get embarrassed by a 49ers team who didn’t even find the end zone till the second half. But on Saturday all the talk wasn’t about MVP candidate Jalen Hurts. Instead all eyes were on running back Kenneth Gainwell who had an extremely efficient day. He rushed for 112 yards on just 12 carries, averaging 9.3 yards per carry and finding the end zone.
The Eagles were bringing tons of swagger this weekend, entering conference championship weekend as the favorites to represent the NFC. And rightfully so as this team is complete from top to bottom. With Jalen Hurts at the reigns the sky is the limit for the birds as this offense soars to new heights. It won’t be easy for the 49ers this weekend, but this is the NFLs best offense against the best NFLs best defense. And we all know what they say about defenses…
Loser – The Buffalo Bills
History seemingly repeats itself as the darlings of the NFL are finding more reasons to complain. Despite claiming to be some of the NFL’s toughest fans, Bills fans are once again complaining about the elements. This time it is because the Bengals wore white uniforms as the snow came down at Orchard Park on Sunday afternoon. But this does not excuse the fact that Josh Allen and that offense just did not perform as they were held to just 10 points.
Frustrations from the fans have been made clear, as has the frustrations from the team itself. Specifically Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs who could be seen on the sideline chewing out Josh Allen. Soon after the game was over he was out the door before even the coaches could enter the locker room. Surely this isn’t any drama that is really brewing, Diggs has no reason to leave a team like Buffalo. So don’t look into such things so deeply.
Play calling could be to blame for this loss. As Dan Orlovsky pointed out, the Bills ran 14 times from the gun. This generated just one first down. It is worth mentioning that no quarterback/head coach duo has won their first Super Bowl after their first five years together. So what do you change in Buffalo? This feels like a team that is still failing to live up to the hype placed upon them every season by fans.
Winner – Joe Burrow & The Bengals
Joe Burrow is starting to look like the only quarterback who can go toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes. Fans are in for a treat this weekend as the two will face off, but after this past weekend’s matchup he has seemingly become the favorite over Josh Allen. As many fans have taken to the internet to express their love for the Bengals quarterback who out-dueled the Bills quarterback despite being away and in the elements.
The Cincinnati Bengals have been underestimated from the jump and are playing angry. That is a very dangerous thing for the NFL as teams that have something to fight for almost always do well. The Bengals have every right to be angry after how a certain situation was handled, but here they are. On Sunday they got business done in every aspect of the game despite the weather. The ground game was efficient and they were able to spread the ball around all game.
The Bengals are back in the AFC Championship, becoming the first team to lose the Super Bowl, start 0-2, and still make the conference championship. As much of a cherry picked stat as it may seem, it is still pretty cool. Many fans counted them out after a slow start and they have come storming back ever since.