So Dan Quinn is officially our new Head Coach — my first reaction was an unexcited meh. I’m pretty sure most of the fan base shared my sentiments. I was bummed out to hear Bobby Slowik received a substantial raise to stay with Houston — A smart move by the Texans. I believe Slowik will be an excellent head coach at some point. Nevertheless, I was happy Ben Johnson “decided” to stay in Detroit for another season. I was never sold or impressed with Johnson.
The changes are happening fast — Eric Bienemy is out, and Kliff Kingsbury is in as our new Offensive Coordinator. He is the former Arizona Cardinals Head coach and, most recently, the OC at USC working with Caleb Williams. Kingsbury has a strong background in developing young quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray. So the Caleb Williams slash Kingsbury packaged deal talk is officially on until Draft Day. They also hired Brian Johnson away from Philadelphia to play a prominent role in the Offense. They also hired Seattle’s Special Teams coordinator, Larry Izzo, for the same role. Not surprisingly, the bitch ass Cowboys denied us permission to interview DBs coach Al Harris and TE coach Lunda Wells But we did manage to hire away Cowboys’ Secondary coach, Joe Whitt, as our new Defensive Coordinator.
As a result of all these changes, I’m doing my best to trust the process Adam Peters and Josh Harris are putting together, and I will give Dan Quinn a chance to show what he can do this second time around as a head coach. All of these moves by our new owner feel like a fresh start for the fan base. I get the sense that Washington is on the path to return to greatness.
NFC / AFC CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
49ERS 34 — LIONS 31
What a thrilling back-and-forth game — by halftime, the 49ers were trailing 24-7, and things looked grim for San Francisco. But the adjustments Kyle Shanahan and Steve Wilks made in the second half were outstanding. The 49ers scored 27 unanswered points and completed a legendary come-from-behind victory. Next, San Francisco is back to the Super Bowl.
This was an all-time epic collapse by Detroit. The Lions dominated the first half, leading 24-7 by halftime. But Dan Campbell’s over-aggressiveness cost Detroit this game. Their refusal to run the ball and chew away some clock proved disastrous for Detroit. Next, the Lions are looking to upgrade some key positions and try to run it back in 2024.
CHIEFS 17 — RAVENS 10
Steve Spagnulo’s Defense was the difference maker, holding Baltimore to 1 TD and 1 Field Goal. I’m surprised Spagnulo wasn’t discussed as a Head Coach candidate for this round of hiring. Anyway, Patrick Mahomes was effective, finishing with 256 yards, 1 TD, and no picks. Travis Kelce was almost uncoverable, finishing with 121 yards and 1 TD. Isiah Pacheco has become an elite running back. Next, Kansas City will look to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
The Ravens came into this game as the top-seeded AFC team and the favorite to win the whole thing. But it was a massive choke job from Baltimore. Offensive Coordinator Tod Monken made some head-scratching decisions — The fumble by Zay Flowers in the end zone was a killer. The interception in the 4th quarter was a terrible throw by Lamar Jackson. Their lack of a Running Game outside of Lamar had been an issue all season, and it proved to be their undoing. On top of all that, having Justin Tucker, the all-time great kicker, sitting on the bench and not using him to get you some crucial points was insane. Next, Baltimore will need to use the offseason to figure out how to tweak their Offense around.
SUPER BOWL PREDICTION:
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The Chiefs have the advantage in many aspects here; their Defense is playing at a higher level than San Fran’s Defense. But the 49ers have better individual players on Defense and a better pass rush than Kansas City. This will make a difference, particularly if Nick Bosa and Chase Young can consistently pressure Mahomes. On top of all that, Trent Williams is the best LT in the NFL and will most likely neutralize Chris Jones.
On Offense, San Francisco is by far the better team overall. If Brock Purdy has the proper protection and enough time to make plays, he will connect with all his top playmakers. Top weapons like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey are all elite and dangerous. In contrast, Kansas City relies heavily on Travis Kelce. However, Rashee Rice and Isiah Pacheco have recently begun showing flashes of playmaking ability. So this is the perfect stage for them to shine. Nevertheless, I feel San Francisco will eventually wear out Kansas City and win a close game. My pick: The San Francisco 49ers.
Rod Rioja 