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The Grueling Truth - Where Legends Speak / Latest Football News & Rumors: Tailored for You / 12 Grueling Truth’s we learned during Wildcard Weekend

12 Grueling Truth’s we learned during Wildcard Weekend

What we learned during Super Wildcard weekend!
Publish Date: 01/18/2022
Fact checked by: Mark Lewis
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JANUARY 15: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills runs the ball during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

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1) Officiating is a joke in the NFL

We could sit here and go through every questionable call in each of the past weekend’s playoff games, but that would be a complete waste of an entire article as it would take forever. So this issue boils down to one or two things; number one, the games are fixed! The better option is number two, which is the officiating is just bad. I think it’s the latter, and I believe there is a way to improve the officiating. The thing that stands out to me is that you have many older men in their 40s-60s that simply cannot keep up with the players. How about we eliminate older men who cannot keep up with elite athletes in the prime of life. Why don’t we offer jobs to men in their twenty’s and early thirties that can keep up? Maybe guys in training camps that get cut could be offered an intensive training program to be taught to be an official? If the NFL continues to do nothing, it will start to look like the conspiracy theorist could have a point.

2) The Bengals are about to be a contender for the next decade

The Bengals have a swagger and play with an enthusiasm that most professional teams don’t play with. The Bengals have a franchise quarterback and a young, energetic coach who seems to be pushing all the right buttons. After the first Bengals playoffs win in thirty-one years, Coach Taylor went to a local bar in Cincinnati and gave out a game ball to the city. He then proceeded to stay and take pictures with every fan who asked! Could you imagine Bill Belichick doing that?

3) Derek Carr is a damn good quarterback

Carr played well in his first playoff game, and while he is not an elite quarterback, he is a guy with enough talent around him who could lead the Raiders to the Super Bowl. If you are a Raiders fan that wants a new quarterback, let me ask you one question? Who could you get that’s better? The Raiders have the right coach, and the Raiders will probably get rid of him.

4) Jalen Hurts is not the answer in Philadelphia

The Eagles run a college offense with a lot of RPO’s that will not win in the NFL. They wasted Devonta Smith’s first season by not turning him loose, and while it was shocking that they made the playoffs, they were not a playoff team, but we will get to that in a little bit. I would instead take my chances with Gardner Minshew, who is a better quarterback than Hurts.

5) The three stooges run the Cowboys

The Stooges are McCarthy, Moore, and Prescott! McCarthy was a bad choice to begin with, and Dak is an elite regular-season quarterback, but that’s it. Running a quarterback sneak in the final seconds was an absolute joke, and watching Cowboys fans make fools out of themselves throwing things at referees was to be expected. Of course, the ring-leader is owner Jerry Jones who has done nothing right since firing Jimmy Johnson. The best thing about the Cowboys is their stadium, and while Jerry is in charge, a Super Bowl ring will not be attainable for Jerry and the Cowboys.

6) The Niners are a threat

The Niners can win in Green Bay as long as Jimmy G. gets his terrible interception out of the way in the first quarter. The Niners can run the ball, and Deebo Samuel is a massive threat from wherever he is on the field. The Niners scheme their offense to start a game as well as any team in the NFL, and the Packers better be ready for just about anything against the 49ers.

7) Fourteen teams is too many

Was anybody surprised that the Eagles and Steelers were trounced as expected because they were not playoff quality teams! The quality of play was damn near the level that the officials showed, which is not good. Both teams’ offenses are pathetic, and I think we should go back to two first-round byes.

8) The Bills were scary, and the Patriots are still a year or two away

The Bills scored every time they got the ball, and the Patriots were just overmatched! The Patriots need to give rookie quarterback Mac Jones more weapons, and they need to do it at the start of free agency! If they do, they can be a Super Bowl contender next year. On the other hand, the Bills are a serious threat to the Chiefs in their upcoming matchup. The real question is, are the Bills as good as they looked against the Patriots or were the Patriots that bad? My guess is a little bit of both is probably more like it.

9) Trevon Diggs is overrated

It is evident from watching Diggs against the 49ers that he put up substantial interception numbers because he is very average. Deion Sanders did not put up insane interception numbers because teams chose not to throw his way; Diggs put up big numbers because teams wanted to attack him. During the 49ers game, Niners receivers ran by Diggs all night.

10) Injuries will play a big part in who goes to the Super Bowl

This is always a significant factor in who ends up in the Super Bowl, and we saw it in the regular season as teams like the Ravens didn’t make the playoffs because of so many injuries. Now, it seemed the Bengals and Buccaneers have big-time issues headed into their next games. The Bengals defensive line is depleted, and the Buccaneers offensive line has taken massive hits. Can the Nebgals and Bucs overcome these issues? There is no way to know that right now, but this always plays a factor in who wins a World Championship.

11) Kellen Moore does not deserve to be an NFL Head Coach

I’m sorry, but I don’t get why anybody would say that Kellen Moore should lead an NFL football team. What has he accomplished to get a job at that high of a level? Hopefully, if he gets a head coaching job, it will be in Dallas because if he’s going to fail, he might as well take Jerry Jones with him.

12) The Rams are scary, but can Matthew Stafford take them to the promised land

The Rams have the most talented team in the NFL. However, you still have to wonder if on the road in Tampa can Stafford make the plays necessary to beat Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, and if he does, then in all probability, he will have to beat Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, and the Niners have a quarterback in Jimmy G. that is very capable also. Does anybody believe he can do that?

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