Championship Sunday is now in the books and there is so much to unpack. At the end of the day, there are two teams left, the Chiefs and Buccaneers. However, there was a lot that we witnessed in order for these two teams to win their respective Championship games. To say that this will be a Championship weekend to remember is probably an overstatement but it was a great football weekend and a reminder that the Championship weekends tend to be the best. Let’s take a look at what went right and what went wrong for the teams in the two games.
NFC Championship
What went right for the Buccaneers
One can’t watch this game and not think about the great game planning orchestrated by the Buccaneers. This can’t be more true than on defense where Todd Bowles again had his defense playing Championship football. The Bucs constantly doubled Davante Adams and bracketed him throughout the game, daring Aaron Rodgers to beat them with someone else (which he almost did). We also saw a constant pass rush to take advantage of the excellent edge rushers but also of the interior force of Vita Vea, who returned to nose tackle this week. Bowles found favorable matchups in the trenches and made Rodgers uncomfortable the entire game.
Likewise, the offense was able to constantly expose the Packers’ defense in favorable matchups throughout the game. Chandon Sullivan is a solid cornerback but in a Championship game, he can’t guard any receiver in one-on-one coverage. Tom Brady was able to find Chris Godwin or Scottie Miller open throughout the game with corners downfield and the payoff was noticeable. Ultimately, the gameplan took advantage of a Packers defense that didn’t have flaws in terms of personnel, rather, the players struggle in specific situations.
What went wrong for the Packers
This game was a sad reminder that the Packers could have used All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari. The Bucs knew they could win on the edge and give Aaron Rodgers a tough day and they did just that. Bakhtiari is the type of tackle that can take that element out of the game. Aside from the absence being noticed, we saw the Packers fail to take advantage of rookie running back AJ Dillion. Dillion wasn’t just a tough back to bring down for Tampa’s defense, he was a magnificent blocker in this game and was able to halt the Bucs pass rush. Looking back, the Packers offensively couldn’t take advantage of their offense in two ways, 1) The X-Factors were non-factors (think Allen Lazard, AJ Dillion, Dominique Dafney) 2) The Packers failed to find Davante Adams in space whether it be in design or off-coverage (when Adams wasn’t pressed).
Many will point to Matt Lafleur choosing to settle for the field goal in the final two minutes of the game and rightfully so. However, we have to look at how defensive coordinator Mike Pettine allowed Tom Brady to hit Scottie Miller with one second left in the first half. The touchdown was bad enough but playing press coverage without safety help when you know that Brady is aiming for the end zone is unacceptable. The Packers defense flipped a switch in the second half but leaving second and third corners in one-on-one coverage clearly cost them this game.
AFC Championship
What went right for the Chiefs
The playcalling in this game by Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy was good, to begin with. Having Patrick Mahomes make physics-defying plays makes this offense great. Having two unguard-able targets in speed demon Tyreek Hill and matchup nightmare Travis Kelce makes this offense unbeatable. The Chiefs are a perfect storm with their offense with every element being the ideal. Even the offensive line can set the tone in the trenches to allow Mahomes time and the run game to continuously gash the defense.
For all the praise the offense rightfully deserves, the defense played just as good a game. Steve Spagnola again coordinated a great defense for the playoffs and for a Championship game. The primary thing the Chiefs executed defensively was the ability to make Josh Allen uncomfortable, whether through sending pressure or continuing to rush on the edge and in the B-Gap. The defense also was able to force Allen to throw to someone else aside from Stefon Diggs, constantly doubling Diggs and assuring he wouldn’t be able to establish any routes. The lasting impression from the defense, whether by default or design, was the ability to bend but not break (keeping the Bills out of the end zone and forcing them to settle for field goals).
What went wrong for the Bills
It’s safe to say that the second quarter was where everything went wrong. The Bills had the lead and looked capable of controlling this game. Unfortunately, the Chiefs started to pick up their offense and anyone watching this game knew they were about to score as long as they got the ball again. Buffalo needed a big drive at some point in the second quarter to respond to the touchdowns with a touchdown of their own, they failed to find a drive. Granted, the defense should have played a better game, especially in that second quarter. But, it was assumed the Bills needed to win this game in a shootout and keep Mahomes off the field, they couldn’t win in both those elements.
At the end of the day, this loss falls on the lack of urgency. The Bills had to know that this game was going to require aggressive game planning yet we never saw it. Settling for 4 field goals (3 of which were within the red zone) against a team that was scoring touchdowns with ease was a clear issue. The Bills didn’t disguise coverages or blitzes or formations with their defense, allowing the Chiefs to constantly pick them apart. We also never saw a true trick play or fake punt or gadget play. In a Championship game like this one, they needed at least one of those.
