5 Things We Learned From The NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round

Andrew Luck looks like a crazy person, passing is overrated, and the Cardinals are sassy on Twitter.

Buster Muslovok

Jan 13, 2014

Passing TDs? Who Needs Those?

Certainly not Russell Wilson or Tom Brady. Neither QB threw for a TD, though both their teams were victorious. In fact, the Patriots are 4-0 in playoff games where Brady does not pass for a touchdown. Brady, in the middle of shellacking the Colts, also became the first QB in history to pass for over 6,000 yards in the playoffs. He is also still very handsome. So it’s still pretty great to be Tom Brady, in case you were wondering.

And Is It Really a Passing League?

According to every bloviating bar stool jockey, the NFL is a passer’s paradise. Except the Seahawks and 49ers were 26th and 30th in passing yards this season. With defenses that give grown men nightmares and a pair of mobile QBs, the passing game isn’t what’s propelling an eventual NFC champ to the Super Bowl. Of course, the Broncos and Patriots are 1st and 7th in passing…and they have the two best QBs in the league (and maybe history). That other common bromide, “defenses win championships,” is basically going head-to-head with this “it’s a passing league” accepted wisdom. WHICH OVER-SIMPLIFICATION OF THE WORLD’S MOST COMPLEX TEAM SPORT WILL WIN OUT? Tune in to hear various sports people yell about this and more for the next three weeks.

And That “Any Given Sunday” Shit Didn’t Matter This Year, Either

ESPN power ranking before the start of the season: Seattle (1), San Francisco (3), Denver (4), New England (6). NFL.com had the 49ers, Broncos, and Seahawks ranked first, second, and third (Patriots at eight). With recent Super Bowls seemingly going to the team that catches fire late in the season and rides out the momentum to the top, this year’s field of four was shockingly predictable. Other than the Chiefs, the bad teams from 2012 were bad in 2013. The mediocre teams stayed mediocre and the good teams stayed good. For franchises like the 49ers and Seahawks, this consistency might go out the window when their rookie contract QBs look for $100 million deals. With the new CBA, it will be interesting to see if either team can keep those monster defenses intact and pay a few key offensive players.

The NFL Network Thinks the Seahawks Are Unbeatable at Home

The Cardinals’ social media people disagree.