NFL officiating left plenty of football fans scratching their heads on Sunday

The Denver Broncos hope to be able to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs someday. Right now, the Broncos aren’t close as the Chiefs are bound for another Super Bowl after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship. They’ll face the Philadelphia Eagles in a couple of weeks on Super Sunday.

I like when we get to the Super Bowl. I’m not overly excited about thinking of the Chiefs getting another ring, but here we are.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Bulletin Board Material

The Bengals went overboard before the AFC Championship Game. I like their bravado, and I like the confidence that QB Joe Burrow has. However, before the game against the Chiefs they gave their opponent too much motivation with their mouth.

Instead of Arrowhead Stadium, or whatever sponsor they have now, the Bengals were calling the Chiefs’ stadium “Burrowhead” after their quarterback. That was funny, but it stoked the fire for the Chiefs. Then, the mayor of Cincinnati took it a step further by saying Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes should have a paternity test to prove that Burrow is not his daddy.

That’s about as lame or sophomoric as “your mamma” jokes on Twitter. It’s one thing for a 12-year-old who is going through puberty to tell “daddy” jokes, but a grown man who runs a city just sounds like a tool bag. After the game, Mahomes talked about it being Arrowhead and not Burrowhead. At the podium accepting the AFC Championship trophy, TE Travis Kelce brought up the Cincy mayor and called him a jabroni. Kelce and Mahomes are not as likable as the league wants you to think they are, and both instances they seemed petulant. However, I point back to the Bengals for giving them that extra motivation.

Travis Kelce to Cincinnati’s Mayor: “Know yo’ role and shut yo’ mouth.”

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 30, 2023

There’s a clear rule in sports; don’t give your opponent any sort of extra motivation. Respect your opponent, even if you despise them. Respect the game, because nobody like when you take smack talk too far. That‘s what the Bengals did before Sunday, and the Chiefs are eating it up after the win.

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NFL Officiating Raises Questions

The officials in the NFL are not good on a regular basis. They’ve been bad in the playoffs this year. However, in the championship games they were worse than before. More specifically, in the AFC Championship they were God awful – and many are wondering if this game they love is rigged.

The NFL needs full-time officials. They are in bed with so many Vegas casinos that the integrity of the game must not be called into question. The league has made gambling on their sport just something most everyone does. It’s led to even more popularity to America’s favorite sport.

These types of games like we saw against the Chiefs and Bengals only make people upset because it seems like there was one team the officials clearly favored. Yes, the Bengals essentially lost a game with less than 10 seconds left due to a personal foul penalty. However, on that same play there was a blatant holding call by the Chiefs that was overlooked. If that penalty is called on the big run by Mahomes, the Chiefs will not be in field goal range.

Pretty blatant hold on the Mahomes run. Missed of course pic.twitter.com/lPmZiUfHpc

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) January 30, 2023

As I’ve previously stated, the NFL needs to address this as fast as possible. Fans will still watch the Super Bowl, but after a game like we saw on Sunday night perhaps some – maybe even more than some expect – will find something else to do on the big day.

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Back to Brady?

The San Francisco 49ers were on a magical run with rookie QB Brock Purdy. He was dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant” like every final pick in the draft each year. However, Purdy has proven to be quite relevant. He started for about two months, and he didn’t lose a game as a starter until Sunday against the Eagles. The 49ers were pushing for a Super Bowl with their third-string quarterback, and when Purdy had to miss time with an elbow injury it was former Broncos QB Josh Johnson – their fourth-string quarterback who came into the game.

Had the team advaned to the Super Bowl with Purdy under center, I think that would have locked him into the starting lineup for the 2023 season. At the very least, Purdy would have competed with former no.3 overall pick Trey Lance for the job in training camp. Now, with Purdy struggling over the last couple of games in the postseason perhaps the 49ers stick with the plan I thought they’d have all along this offseason.

I think they might still be interested in Tom Brady. We’ll see what happens with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starter this offseason. Some think he’ll retire. Some think he’ll wind up with HC Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders. I think he could make a championship run with his childhood team.

I have a conspiracy theory: Knowing that Brady loves matchup football and adjustments, I could see him loving Kellen Moore. If he comes to Tampa, I’d suspect it increases the chances Brady stays.

— NFL Philosophy (@NFLosophy) January 30, 2023

Some are focused on where Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will wind up. I could care less because we’ve had to hear about that over the last two offseason. I think it’s more important to consider where Brady will be in 2023. Brady was a childhood fan of the 49ers, and they would be immediate Super Bowl contenders if he joined forces with HC Kyle Shanahan.

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Mando Mania

I love Star Wars. I’m a lifelong fan of Star Wars since the first time I saw it back in 1977. I still love it today, although the last few movies have not been as good as the original trilogy from the 70s and 80s. Hell, they’re not even as good as the much-maligned prequel trilogy from the early 2000s.

There are some good Star Wars shows on Disney-plus. They’re not all great, but these are saving graces for the fan base who is rightfully upset with the sequel trilogy carelessly mis mashed together by Disney. The best show from Disney Star Wars has to be “The Mandalorian.” It tells the story of a Mandalorian warrior, but I think there is a new Mandalorian who will be revealed this year when Season 3 debuts.

There is going to be a trailer for the Super Bowl, and I think we may get more clues that everyone’s favorite “Baby Yoda” Grogu becomes a Mandalorian – complete with vescar helmet and armor. Season 3 is going to get people more excited about Star Wars than anything in recent memory. No matter what happens to Grogu, I think further watching his story unfold will be must-see TV.

Prepare for the return of the new season of #TheMandalorian, streaming March 1 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/QRGCANx7N6

— The Mandalorian (@themandalorian) January 29, 2023

Are you excited for season 3 of “The Mandalorian”? Hit me up on social networking and let me know!

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Follow @CecilLammey