The GPR and Other NFL Reflections

The Grandstander Power Rankings following the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs....

1. Packers
2. Chiefs
3. Bucs
4. Bills

• The Chiefs fall to Number Two due to the uncertainty surrounding the status of Patrick Mahomes.
• The Packers looked unbeatable after thoroughly dismantling the Rams.
• The Browns won the opening coin toss, and deferred, thus putting the ball into Patrick Mahomes' hands to start the game.  Why in God's name would a team do that?  (Mahomes proceeded to  lead the Chiefs on an a TD drive to begin the game.)
• A case can be made for anyone of of these teams being ranked in any order.  From a field of fourteen, the NFL ends up with the four best teams, I think.  They are most certainly the four best teams that started out in the Playoffs.

A few words about Tom Brady.  He (and a very strong TB defense) won that game over the Saints on Sunday, and he is going to his FOURTEENTH Conference Championship Game on Sunday.  There really are no words to describe all that he has accomplished.

Nobody living today, I am confident in saying, ever saw Babe Ruth play baseball, but we are all getting the chance to see Tom Brady do things that can only be described as Ruthian, football-wise.  You may not have to like him, but you have to like seeing what he has done and continues to do on a football field.

Oh, and if you don't like him, look  up the video of him talking with Drew Brees and his kids on the field of the Super Dome long after the game ended on Sunday.  Might change your mind, if even only a little bit.

(At this point, I was going to write something about the news that the NFL this week welcomed into its Head Coaching ranks none other than Urban Meyer.  Have decided to defer that unpleasant topic to another day.)

Now it is on to what might be my very favorite day of the year on the sports calendar  - NFL Conference Championship Sunday.

An old school AFL Match-up between the Bills and Chiefs with two dynamic young quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.  A Packers-Bucs Match-up with two dynamic old quarterbacks,  Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.  Like I said earleir, I don't think that the NFL could have scripted it any better.

Predictions will come later in the week.