NFL playoff mania is sweeping the nation!
It may be January in Minnesota, but the hype surrounding recent changes in the leadership of the Minnesota Vikings — Coach Mike Zimmerman and Vikings’ GM Rick Spielman are unemployed
— this change occurred after another dismal season for the Vikes. It’s a matter of what have you done for us lately when it comes to this franchise.
Zimmer touted himself as a defensive genius. Well, the Vikings ended the season in last place among NFL teams.
While the Vikings are trying to figure out who will be the next GM and head coach, the rest of the football fans are overdosing on the playoffs.
We’ve had three full days to recover from a weekend of National Football League playoff action. Like most American football nuts, I spent most of Sunday afternoon watching the wild-card playoff games.
On Saturday, perhaps the most brilliant play of the weekend wild card games was thrown by Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow when he was forced out of the pocket and running full tilt toward the near sidelines threw a completed pass to Tyle Boyd in the end zone. Burrow was flying through the air as he released the pass before landing out of bounds. It took officials a few moments to confirm the call on the field a touchdown, but after laboring over video replay the acrobatic pass to Boyd was confirmed. (Incidentally, the Bengals defeated the much-hated Las Vegas Raiders 26-19.)
Saturday’s second match-up pitted the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots, by thumping the Pats 47-17. It was a giant blowout! It was no contest. The Bengals grabbed the win and recorded the team’s first playoff win since 1991.
Sunday’s contests pitted Tom Brady and his 2021 Super Bowl teammates against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Buccaneers and Brady stomped on the Eagles’ feathers as they won easily 31-15.
Following the Bucs’ victory, we settled in to watch the Dallas Cowboys entertain the San Francisco 49ers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. While I am not a 49er fan, I am a fan of anyone playing against the Cowboys. We celebrated the 23-17 Niner win and the Cowboy loss before turning our attention to the final game of the day — to the Pittsburgh Steelers as they lined up against the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City. It was a complete dismantling of Ben Roethlisbeger’s final game as a Steeler. Los Angeles Rams and the Arizona Cardinals were the final Monday night game of the Wild Card weekend.
Next weekend’s pairings look something like this: Bengals will take on the Tennessee Titans, the number one seed in the AFC. Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes II will face the charging Buffalo Bills.
Over in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers (the number one seed) will square off against Los Angeles Rams following the Rams’ crushing defeat of the Arizona Cardinals 34-11.
San Francisco will take on Brady and his Buccaneers.
Let’s enjoy getting together and watching this year’s playoffs!
By the way, there are only 59 days until spring and baseball!
ONE MORE THING
Hy-Vee will no longer deliver their insert through the Dodge County Independent or ADvantage. It is Hy-Vee’s choice to stop bringing you their information each week. We have been fielding calls from you over the last couple of weeks, so it’s time to get the word out...if you want the Hy-Vee’s insert back in the DCI and ADvantage, call the store, or let employees at the store know.
Really, we would love to have the insert available each week for you loyal Hy-Vee shoppers.