With the NFL losing fans and in a popularity funk, it’s comforting to see that the competition level hasn’t dropped off.
The NFL playoffs, a high-stakes affair, is played in “one and done” style. There aren’t any Game 7’s. There’s no home-and-away. There’s nothing but one game at a time with everything on the line. Win and move on — to face the same fate — lose and go home.
Mistakes of any form are deadly. The momentum shifts constantly. Every player exerts maximum effort–fighting hard for every bit of leverage.
The physical battle is only part of what makes this so exciting.
Cerebral duels are incredibly fascinating to watch. The formations, decisions, and audibles are just a few of the things that detail a constant battle of wits. Both sides go deep into their playbooks, playing mind games in an effort to force mistakes. The outcome? Teams will either play better than they are or end up doing just the opposite.
I thought the Chiefs would run over the Titans. They didn’t. I thought the Rams would beat the Falcons. I was wrong. Instead, Kansas City hit a wall and the Falcons turned back the clock to 2016.
So what about this weekend?
I think the Falcons-Eagles should offer excellent entertainment with two high-octane offenses battling it out.
I’ll take the Falcons. And then there’s the Titans traveling to New England.
The Titans’ season will end there.
With the NFL losing fans and in a popularity funk, it’s comforting to see that the competition level hasn’t dropped off.
Don’t miss any of this weekend’s action!
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About Austin Spets
I grew up watching and playing sports, Sports are a big part of who I am. I really love watching the best athletes perform against one another because I love sports for the spectacle of athleticism. I especially like watching current players like Jordan Howard, Akiem Hicks, JJ Watt, Julio Jones, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Steph Curry, and Russel Westbrook. I also enjoy watching players of yesteryear, like Walter Payton, Brian Urlacher, and Michael Jordan. Now in my mid-20’s, I graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.S. in Kinesiology, which is a fancy word for exercise science. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with that degree. But after pursuing different avenues, I believe I’ve found my passion — sportswriting. I especially like writing about the NFL, Chicagoland sports (the Bears, Cubs, and Bulls in particular), sports ethics, and sports science. I love offering my perspective and shedding light on sports players, teams, and issues. I want to challenge readers by providing a different point of view. That’s where TSC comes in. With that in mind, I thank you in advance for reading my work. Please contact me with constructive criticism and your personal perspective on what I’ve written. I like to approach subjects as open-mindedly as possible.
