NEWSLETTER
That was awesome. We’ve got two weeks to talk about it, and I plan on doing plenty of it, but for now, I’m just going to let it marinate a bit. Still, the Kansas City Chiefs are heading to the Super Bowl after a thriller at Arrowhead Stadium last night. They’ll take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Phoenix, Arizona, in two weeks.
- “Burrowhead, my a**!” The Chiefs let everyone know that they heard the talk last week. The Bengals thrived off bulletin board material all season, and then Mike Hilton gave Kansas City some they used in the AFC Championship. Players still have to play, but the back-and-forth is another wrinkle in the rivalry.
- To be clear, it is a rivalry now. When he was asked about the Bengals vs. Chiefs rivalry this week, Chris Jones said that a rivalry was only such if both teams won. With the Bengals 3-0 against the Chiefs in the last two seasons, Jones felt there was no rivalry. Jones and the Chiefs did their part to make it happen last night.
- At first blush, Brady vs. Manning/Patriots-Colts is the last rivalry in the NFL that this one can compare to. But all I know is I can’t wait for Part III.
- On the NFC side, the Eagles and 49ers game wasn’t nearly as entertaining. Unfortunately for San Francisco, Brock Purdy went down with an elbow injury on the game’s second drive. But honestly, I’m not sure it would have made a difference. Philadelphia’s pass rush was on another level on Sunday. Haason Reddick was a game wrecker all day.
- Philadelphia stayed true to their identity, getting to the opposing quarterback(s) often and pounding the ball for touchdowns on the ground. All four Eagles’ touchdowns came on the floor. Miles Sanders (2), Boston Scott, and Jalen Hurts all scored touchdowns.
- The loss for the 49ers hit the San Francisco locker room pretty hard. Tight end George Kittle’s frustration shined through in his comments after the game: “How’s it feel to lose an NFC Championship Game because I don’t have a quarterback? Pretty s—ty, to be honest,” Kittle said.
- Purdy is believed to have suffered damage to his UCL on the hit he took from Haason Reddick in the first quarter. MRIs are scheduled for today.
- With the 49ers eliminated, DeMeco Ryans become available for hire and is expected to meet with the Texans as soon as this afternoon. We learned on Friday that Ryans is the favorite for the Texans’ head coaching vacancy.
- Last week, Ryans was named the top candidaBroncos’the Broncos head coaching job. Unfortunately for Denver, it appears that Ryans and the Texans have mutual interest. A deal could be done any day now. Once the Ryans-Texans deal is finalized, we’ll be down to three coaching vacancies in the league.
- DeMeco Ryans isn’t the only defensive coordinator who played on championship Sunday, garnering some interest today. The Cardinals have requested to interview Bengals DC Lou Anarumo.
- Anarumo has been overlooked, but he would be an excellent hire. I’ve written about the superb work that Anarumo has done in Cincinnati, and last night’s performance against the Chiefs was no exception.
- Before the action started on championship Sunday, Vic Fangio was hired by the Miami Dolphins as their new DC. According to Tom Pelissero, Fangio’s deal in Miami is for three years (with an option for a fourth) and will make Fangio the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL.
- Before I wrap this up, I want to remind everyone that BN NFL has a Facebook page. So if Facebook is your thing, give the page a like! Bleacher Nation NFL | Facebook
- Former Blackhawk Bobby Hull has passed away:
- A new potential trade partner for the Bears has emerged:
