Here are 10 things that I took away from the first day of the playoffs.
1. So, the Minnesota Vikings will be playing the winner of today's Carolina Panthers-New Orleans Saints game.
2. It was a little strange listening to Jon Gruden calling a Kansas City Chiefs game knowing that he was the "unofficial" Oakland Raiders head coach.
3. More Gruden. He's yet to see a player commit a penalty this season. It was also hard to hear him rave on and on about the play that Chiefs corner Marcus Peters didn't make at the end of the game. If a defensive player strips the football from an offensive player that is already sitting on the ground he didn't cause a fumble. Hell, he could probably be called for delay of game for ripping the ball out of the already tackled player's grasp. At least three times Gruden referred to Peters forcing a Derrick Henry fumble and throwing a block on the return. All Peters did was tackle Henry. I really like Gruden. His enthusiasm for football is infectious but throughout this season it felt like and sounded like he had checked out of the broadcasting booth. Now, we know that he had.
4. All season the Chiefs offense was at it's best when they relied on and played off of rookie running back Kareem Hunt. So, it's a real mystery as to why he had only 11 carries in the game. Six in the final 48 minutes. The Chiefs were up 21-3 at the half. The second half should've been Hunt's time. Maybe the talk should be about the Kansas City future of head coach Andy Reid rather that of quarterback Alex Smith.
5. The Titans-Chiefs game was fun but the pass catching was horrible. So was the officiating but the drops bothered me more. These are supposed to be professional pass catchers.
6. The Los Angeles Rams started their game against the Atlanta Falcons like a team that's still learning it's way. Or maybe that was how a team that laid down the week before is supposed to look. I think it's the former but the latter still annoys me.
7. The Rams got their offense humming in the second quarter. The momentum was theirs heading into overtime. It felt like they were leading despite being down 13-10. The Falcons defense took the momentum away in the second half.
8. It's so much fun watching Falcons receiver Julio Jones play football.
9. If I was a Falcons fan I'd sure like to see rookie defensive end Takkarist McKinley on the field more.
10. We're a day closer to the Vikings joining the playoff fun.
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