Nitpik: 4th and 26.
And that was great!
It might help to list the playoff seedings. I know it’ll help me.
N-1) 13-3 SF
N-2) 13-3 GB
N-3) 13-3 NO
N-4) 9-7 PHI
N-5) 11-5 SEA
N-6) 10-6 MIN
A-1) 14-2 BAL
A-2) 12-4 KC
A-3) 12-4 NE
A-4) 10-6 HOU
A-5) 10-6 BUF
A-6) 9-7 TEN
It’s a rudimentary listing.
I’m pulling for my 49ers!
After that in the NFC, I’m pulling for the Vikings because they’ve lost the Super Bowl 4x and have never won it. There are eight teams that have gone and never won: MIN, BUF, CIN, CAR, ATL, SD/LAC, TEN (HOU Oilers), and STL/AZ.
In the AFC I’m pulling for the Chiefs. Their last appearance, and their only appearance, was in Super Bowl IV and the days of Len Dawson, Ed Podolak, and Otis Taylor on offense. After the Chiefs I’m pulling for the (can’t help myself here) Buffalo Billlls. 4-time team, and 4-time loser. The only team to lose 4 straight! They should have won Super Bowl XXV against the NY Giants, that was Norwood’s wide right*. But Parcells coached a better game than Levy did.
And after the Chiefs and Bills I’m pulling for the Titans. Rest in Peace, Steve McNair, and they lost that game by 1 yard on the last play. Basically, the clock ran out on them, they were moving downfield with a vengeance on that final drive, McNair and George.
As a Niners fan I have a special place for the Ravens. It’s a place that the sun don’t shine. 
Before Super Bowl XLVII only the 49ers had won multiple Super Bowls without any losses. And after that Super Bowl, that title goes to the Ravens. They’re the only ones, although they are ‘only’ 2-0.
But what a great defense they had, and have! They scare me. I’m hoping that since the 49ers lost in the regular season to the Ravens, then if they meet in the Super Bowl that will bode well for the 49ers.
I hope!
Look, I get it. As a 49er fan and I do love me some Joe Montana, I hated to see Tom Brady wrest away the GOAT title from Joe. I have good friends who still insist Montana is better, but hey, Brady did it for far longer and with less talent than Montana did. Yes there are arguments still for the GOAT to be Montana. 4-0 in Super Bowls, and no interceptions (hello, Lawrence Billups). And Brady and the Pats largely won because of Vinatieri. That kicker has ice in his veins.
But, Brady and Belichick are the best tandem, ever. That win against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI was tremendous. I doubt I’ll see a better football dynasty in my lifetime (I’m 58 and expecting (hoping!) for another 30 years).
Sorry for the long post but I love this game, and these are some great weekends coming up!
GO NINERS!!!
Yes I remember that too. Who gives up a 4th and 26???
ETA: I didn’t realize until now, there’s actually a Wiki page for 4th and 26. 4th and 26 - Wikipedia
#2 seed, but, yeah, I have no idea how they managed 13 wins. (Granted, they did play the NFC East this year… 
)
I’m a Packers fan, so my NFC choice is obvious.
On the other side, I like how the Ravens have such an exciting offense, and while I know it won’t happen, I also like seeing the Titans rehabilitate Ryan Tannehill (or how Ryan Tannehill rehabilitated the Titans).
Yes it was great seeing Tannehill resurrect his career this season.
Oh yeah, I forgot the SF win dropped them down. They would have been #1 if not for that.
SF is a solid #1 seed.
Chiefs. Because in baseball, I’m a Royals fan, so that’s the football team that most of my on-line acquaintances follow. In the absence of the Giants or Jets, they’re my go-to.
Secondarily, anyone but the Pats. I hate Bill Belichick over the way he walked away from the Jets way back when.
The Chiefs were also in the first “NFL - AFL World Championship Game” (as it was called, then) and lost to the “Team of the Decade (of the 1960s)” from the N.F.L., Green Bay.
I was pulling for the Bills that year, too. Such a shame that such a great collection of talent never won a S.B.
Yeah, that was some game. Unfortunately for me - due to circumstances largely outside of my control - I was able to watch only the last drive of that game. But what a great part to not miss!
He’s still my favorite QB of all time.
Debatable.
If I were forming a team of all-time greats Joe Montana would be my starting quarterback and Tom Brady would be the backup.
I have to agree with that. I can still name all kinds of players from those Bill Walsh/George Seifert-era 49ers teams; how many players, besides Tom Brady and “Gronk” and maybe Randy Moss can people outside of NE name off the top of their heads from the Patriots from the last couple of decades?
That particular statistic still stands out to me. Four Super Bowls and not even ONE pick. Absolutely amazing.
There’s a reason he was chosen for the NFL All-Time 100 team.
Despite “Spygate” and “Deflate-gate” I have to agree. Even Tony Romo, near the end of last year’s S.B., said, “We’ll never see this again” by which I assume he meant the same head coach and QB combo winning so many S.B.s together.
Exactly; the Packers came about 6" from being the ugliest #1 seed in recent memory.
FTR, while I agree that Rodgers isn’t the player he was a few years ago, I also think that he has about the thinnest supporting cast (as far as receivers and offensive linemen) that he has had during his time with the Packers. Davante Adams is their only really legitimate receiver, and he missed 4 games with turf toe; their next-best WR (as far as number of receptions) was Allen Lazard, a UFA from last year who started 2019 on the practice squad. And, Jimmy Graham is pretty clearly over the hill.
Even with a legit running game with Aaron Jones, it too often seems like Rodgers is having to pull a page out of Favre’s playbook, and try to carry the whole offense on his shoulders.
Just to note that Vinatieri left the Patriots 14 years ago (they let him become a free agent), and he’s been kicking for the Colts ever since. While he was certainly instrumental in the Patriots’ first three Super Bowl wins, they have gone to six Super Bowls (and won three) since he departed.
This is probably a bit of a hijack, but I hope it’s a short one and therefore not too out-of-line: to those of you who have Tom Brady taking/not taking the GOAT title from Joe Montana, where do all-time-great QBs between the two, I’m thinking specifically of Brett Favre and Peyton Manning, play into such thinking? Is it just the relative lack of Super Bowl wins that relegate them to a lower status?
Chiefs Kingdom appreciates the support! And I’m rooting for the Niners in the NFC.
Minor, minor nitpick: Ed Podolak was a rookie that year and only appeared in 4 games, all as a kickoff/punt returner. He doesn’t show up in the Super Bowl stats. KC’s rushing attack that year was a four-headed monster: Mike Garrett, Robert Holmes, Warren McVea, and Wendell Hayes.
Two years later, on Christmas Day, 1971, Ed Podolak had a career game: 85 yards rushing, 110 yards receiving, over 150 return yards…and the Chiefs lost to Miami 27-24 in the longest NFL game ever played.
Instead they’ve had Gostkowski who is also great.
Hey, the NFC East were responsible for a third of their losses!
Thanks for the KC Chiefs info! Yes, Mike Garrett, that rings a bell…
ETA: and thanks for your 49ers support!
And again…
Q – 1993, 1994, 1997, and 2013: what does this mean to the 49ers and Chiefs?
A – Four 49ers QBs went directly from SF to KC. In 1993 it was Joe, in 1994 it was Steve*, in 1997 it was Elvis, and in 2013 it was Alex.
We’re keeping Jimmy, BTW. Besides, I think you like your QB!
- – Bono. Not Young!
Um, yeah, we’ll keep young Mr. Mahomes, thank you!
Somewhat ironically, I suppose, Jimmy G made his NFL debut in Arrowhead against the Chiefs on a Monday night in 2014. Chiefs smoked the Patriots that night, and Garoppolo entered the game in the fourth quarter. He immediately led the Pats on a scoring drive, throwing his first NFL TD pass to Gronkowski.
I have a hierarchy. Between any two teams, the higher ranks one in the list is the one I root for. It goes something like:
Packers
Bears
Vikes
Lions
Cardinals (AZ resident)
SF
…
most any remaining NFC team
any AFC team
…
and games where I wish it were possible for both teams to lose:
Dallas
Eagles
Ravens
Patriots
Seahawks
I knew I should have checked!
Oh come on! It has it’s own wiki page?