Overview of The Athletic Football Show — Conference Championship Games Recap
This episode recaps both conference championship games: the Seattle Seahawks’ 31–27 win over the Los Angeles Rams (NFC) and the New England Patriots’ 10–7 win over the Denver Broncos (AFC). The hosts break down key plays, coaching decisions, play-calling, special teams and how weather/field conditions shaped the AFC game. Major themes: a classic, high-drama NFC thriller driven by Sam Darnold, Clint Kubiak and Jaxon Smith‑Njigba; and an ugly, weather‑affected AFC game in which New England’s defense and special teams prevailed.
Key takeaways
- Seahawks beat the Rams, 31–27, in what the hosts call one of the best playoff games of the year — a back-and-forth affair decided by a long 84‑yard turnover‑on‑downs sequence and inches at the end.
- Sam Darnold delivered a career‑type performance for Seattle (very high EPA per dropback, excellent third‑down play), executing Kubiak’s scheme and making clutch throws under pressure.
- Jaxon Smith‑Njigba (JSN) and Kenneth Walker were huge for Seattle; Jake Bobo also had a critical touchdown. Clint Kubiak’s game plan and situational play‑calling get high marks.
- Rams offense moved the ball (Matthew Stafford making big down‑field strikes) but couldn’t convert a few high‑leverage red‑zone/third‑down moments and lost on a key turnover on downs.
- Patriots won a low‑scoring, snow‑impacted AFC title game 10–7. New England’s defense, special teams and conservative offensive management beat the Broncos’ attack led by their backup QB.
- Weather dominated the fourth quarter of the AFC game; the conditions reduced offense and made special teams/turnovers decisive.
- Coaching and game management decisions (timeouts, fourth‑down/two‑point choices) were discussed and occasionally questioned, but neither game’s outcome boiled down to a single clear mistake.
Game-by-game breakdown
Seahawks 31, Rams 27 (NFC Championship)
- Game feel: high‑scoring overall but with crucial defensive moments late; “everything about football distilled into one possession” — long drives, big throws, schemed matchups and inches at the finish.
- Sam Darnold:
- Outstanding day: high dropback success rate and 0.46 EPA per dropback (well above MVP‑type benchmarks).
- Comfortable in Kubiak’s offense — attacked Rams’ DBs downfield, led receivers well for YAC, and made clutch third‑down throws late.
- Fought through pressure (14 pressures, 3 sacks) and produced key plays under duress.
- Key Seahawks playmakers:
- Jaxon Smith‑Njigba: multiple game‑changing catches (one‑hand sideline grab, large chunk plays vs. cover‑2, touchdown from backfield).
- Kenneth Walker: “breakout” playoff performance — big runs, receiving plays that kept drives alive; every touch created life for Seattle.
- Jake Bobo: scored on a play‑fake in 12 personnel (played with defensive expectations and punished the bite).
- Offensive line highlight: Charles Cross gave Seattle crucial time vs. Jared Verse on many snaps.
- Coaching/Play‑calling:
- Clint Kubiak praised for situational calls and scheme to attack Rams’ tendencies (man vs. zone, motion to manipulate matchups).
- Mike McDonald’s defensive scheme executed in high‑leverage red‑zone moments; Seahawks defense made the decisive stops.
- Rams offense:
- Matthew Stafford and receivers (Puka Nacua, Devonta Adams among others) connected on many deep shots and iso one‑on‑one throws.
- Converted explosive plays and had a late methodical drive; ultimately fell short on red‑zone/turnover moments.
- Special teams & misc:
- Two pivotal special‑teams sequences: a dropped punt that led to points for one side and a taunting penalty that led to points for the other — hosts viewed these as somewhat canceling each other out (but debated the taunting call).
- Final sequence came down to inches on the sideline/first‑down markers.
Patriots 10, Broncos 7 (AFC Championship)
- Game feel: unusual, sloppy, and strongly affected by late‑game snow and wind; final score low, defense‑ and special‑teams driven.
- Patriots:
- Defense and special teams carried the day; very few clean offensive plays but the team did enough.
- Drake Maye (Patriots QB) created some key plays with his legs (scrambles, designed draws) and connected on an executed flea flicker/over route for a score.
- Coaching (Josh McDaniels/Josh‑era decisions referenced): conservative game plan—don’t make the mistake that allows Denver to score; risk‑averse approach paid off given conditions and Denver’s backup QB.
- Broncos:
- Jared Stidham (backup QB) battled; protection breakdowns and a catastrophic fumble/intentional grounding play swung the game.
- Broncos defense tackled well and regularly disrupted New England — they were in position but could not capitalize on a couple of critical opportunities (missed/made field goals, blocked/deflected kicks).
- Weather and officiating:
- Late snow made the field nearly unplayable; the fourth quarter became a “different sport” with kicks, snaps and ball security deciding outcomes.
- Special teams were decisive: a blocked/altered kick and an effective punting performance kept field position in Denver’s favor at times.
- Key moments:
- A fourth‑and‑one failure and earlier third‑down decisions that swung possession and ultimately scoring opportunities.
- Stidham’s late interception (under pressure, limited time to set) essentially ended Denver’s comeback chances.
Notable performances & players to watch
- Sam Darnold (SEA): elite single‑game EPA and multiple clutch throws — will be central to Seattle’s Super Bowl run.
- Jaxon Smith‑Njigba (SEA): route running, contested catches and YAC — matchup problem for NFL secondaries.
- Kenneth Walker III (SEA): multi‑phase threat (rushing + receiving) who changed momentum throughout the NFC game.
- Clint Kubiak (SEA OC): praised for play design, situational play‑calling and ability to exploit Rams matchups.
- Seahawks defense (team): timely red‑zone stops, especially late.
- Patriots defense & special teams: season‑long identity showed up in a harsh weather environment — opportunistic and physical.
- Broncos special teams/punting (Jeremy Croshaw noted): several booming punts, great net average and field‑flipping work even in loss.
Coaching, analytics and game management notes
- Timeouts and clock management: hosts debated late timeout usage choices and early timeout calls to preserve clock; analytics context discussed but no consensus on a single “correct” choice in all cases.
- Fourth‑down/two‑point decisions:
- Seahawks/Rams: McVay’s decision to not go for two after a score (making it a 4‑point game) was questioned as an “unforced error” that could have mattered — hosts note context matters given remaining time, but numbers often favor going for it.
- Patriots/Broncos: Josh McDaniels’ conservative approach (when field conditions were expected to worsen and opponent had backup QB) made sense to hosts.
- Offensive structure vs. execution: Seattle’s season showed that structural changes (run‑pass cohesion) plus Kubiak’s play‑calling allowed lesser‑heralded pieces (Darnold, Walker, JSN) to flourish. Mike McDonald’s defensive identity validated in postseason.
Special teams & officiating highlights
- Special teams played outsized roles in both games:
- Seahawks/Rams: dropped punts, taunting penalties and returns directly led to touchdowns and momentum swings.
- Patriots/Broncos: punting, blocked/altered kicks and field position in the snow were decisive.
- Officiating debate: hosts criticized soft enforcement (taunting) and inconsistency, noting flags changed high‑leverage moments. They saw these as part of the modern NFL’s refereeing landscape.
Implications — Super Bowl preview & outlook
- Super Bowl matchup: Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots (a rematch with historical resonance for the host).
- What Seattle brings: complete roster (offense clicking in big moments, elite defense, special teams explosion) — they’re described as an “incredible” and balanced team that deserves a lot of credit for peaking.
- What New England needs: Patriots’ offense must improve to win the Super Bowl — the defense and special teams have carried much of the postseason; they’ll likely need more consistent offensive production vs. Seattle.
- Rams and Broncos: both teams have reasons for optimism (Rams’ offense showed explosive potential; Broncos have youth/roster building blocks) but will need postmortems on special teams and QB situations going forward.
Notable quotes / memorable lines from the hosts
- “Everything you could possibly love about football distilled into one possession.” (on the Seahawks–Rams long turnover‑on‑downs sequence)
- “Sam Darnold was magnificent.” (on Darnold’s performance)
- On the Patriots game: “If five of the 272 regular season games and a dozen playoff games take us back to 1908 once in a while, I think that’s okay” — a broader point about outdoor football and the occasional extreme weather game.
Suggested follow‑ups (for listeners who want to dig deeper)
- Film study priorities:
- Seahawks vs. Rams: tape the Darnold‑to‑JSN combinations, Kubiak’s motion and route‑design usage vs. Rams’ coverages; Seattle pass protection vs. Jared Verse.
- Patriots vs. Broncos: protection breakdowns on Denver plays that led to turnovers; how Patriots schemed to get their modest offensive production and how they managed clock/field position in the snow.
- Look for the show’s promised “hangover” postmortems for deeper roster and coaching analysis on the Rams and Broncos in the days following.
- Watch the Seahawks’ third‑down/third‑and‑long sequences and the Rams’ late fourth‑quarter drive in full for context on situational execution.
If you want quick links to specific plays mentioned (JSN sideline grab, Kenneth Walker jukes, Seahawks turnover‑on‑downs series, Patriots flea‑flicker touchdown, the Denver fumble/intentional‑grounding turnover), the hosts said they’ll do detailed breakdowns in follow‑up episodes and film sessions during the week.