# NFL Playoff Thread 2026 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [January 5, 2026, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372 "2026-01-05T16:53:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/461 "2026-01-25T23:01:09Z")
lol I can hear MVP chants. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/462 "2026-01-25T23:07:17Z")
That was a little more nerve-wracking than I would have preferred. Not super confident about the Super Bowl, but in is better than not in. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/463 "2026-01-25T23:10:18Z")
I’m not complaining, mind you, but throwing that football was the dumbest decision I’ve ever seen in sports. What did he think was going to happen just flinging it up there into a frozen cloud of snow and wind? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/464 "2026-01-25T23:14:05Z")
It wasn’t the call I would have made, but what was Denver going to do? They had little success moving the ball and were running out of time to find a way that worked. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/465 "2026-01-25T23:15:15Z")
It’s not even the dumbest decision in these playoffs - I’d give that to Josh Allen scrambling at the end of the first half last week. There were less than 3 minutes to go, no one was moving the ball on offense, they had to try something to get points - at that point in the games they’d be going for it on 4th down anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/466 "2026-01-25T23:15:30Z")
Who am I, Vince Lombardi? Just kidding. I don’t know, but throwing deep in those conditions with your second string quarterback doesn’t seem very Lombardi-ish to me. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/467 "2026-01-25T23:24:14Z")
**That was the best “shoulda kicked a field goal when we had the chance” game. 🙄** I still think the Pats, though a really great team, is lucky as hell this year. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/468 "2026-01-25T23:37:29Z")
esp considering Pats missed 2 of 3 FG, and giving up sacks; but Broncs couldn’t stop run game, they need new RB ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/469 "2026-01-26T00:11:44Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > Pats missed 2 of 3 FG In that weather, I’m not sure that’s indicative of anything. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/470 "2026-01-26T00:12:36Z")
I feel like the dumbest decision in these playoffs might have been CJ Stroud’s 2nd interception, IIRC; the one where he was about to get sacked and just heaved it blindly into the middle of the field. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/471 "2026-01-26T00:15:00Z")
I understand, but the Pats aren’t Miami, they play in these conditions; what surprised me is how well the Broncs punter did in this weather ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/472 "2026-01-26T00:18:07Z")
If Denver won, the MVP of the game would have been their punter. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/473 "2026-01-26T00:21:30Z")
Even playing in New England they’re not usually kicking in the middle of blowing snow. And no matter how much you practice, wind is unpredictable, and footing is always going to be fraught. Can’t practice your way out of physics. On that subject: what a shame this game wasn’t at Gillette. That would have been a sight to see. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/474 "2026-01-26T00:32:45Z")
I seriously cannot believe the Patriots are going to the Super Bowl. What an incredible turnaround this season, and they do it by winning a playoff game at Mile High for the first time ever. Go Pats! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/475 "2026-01-26T00:55:37Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > On that subject: what a shame this game wasn’t at Gillette. That would have been a sight to see. True, but I would have gone again, and I haven’t yet recovered from the first two. I was glad to watch it on TV! ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/476 "2026-01-26T01:15:15Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > On that subject: what a shame this game wasn’t at Gillette. That would have been a sight to see. Yeah, this snowstorm is no joke. The last thing we need is 30,000 cars under a foot of snow in the Gillette parking lot. It’s been snowing over 2 inches an hour since 3pm. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/477 "2026-01-26T01:30:24Z")
How does a professional athlete trip over his own feet walking backwards into open field? That’s ridiculous ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/478 "2026-01-26T01:30:43Z")
Very much like that 2003 game against the Dolphins. A crazy fan experience inside the stadium, chaos outside. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/479 "2026-01-26T01:34:19Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > How does a professional athlete trip over his own feet walking backwards into open field? Rams special teams is special in being bad, which is why they fired their coordinator right after the last game they lost in Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372/480 "2026-01-26T01:58:35Z")
oh my god, what a soft and pathetic refball penalty on a critical 4th and 12 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoff-thread-2026/1026372.md?page=25)