After a fantastic conference championship weekend, all eyes now turn to the Super Bowl just a little under two weeks away. Still, as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers turn their attention to the big game, many other teams are also dealing with player and coaching personnel decisions.
Let’s recap the two games from Sunday and look at other news from around the league.
And Then There Were Two
After months of grueling practices and games, we are down to just two teams left. Representing the AFC will be the Kansas City Chiefs against the NFC’s San Francisco 49ers. This one truly represents an offensive versus defensive juggernaut and should truly be an exciting matchup.
In the AFC Championship, it was the Chiefs winning over the Tennessee Titans 35-24. The biggest key for the Chiefs was the ability to limit the production of Derrick Henry. After two monster games, Henry had just 69 yards on 19 rushes and a touchdown.
While those aren’t awful stats, the Titans needed more. Patrick Mahomes threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns while also leading the team in rushing with 53 yards and another score.
In the NFC Championship, it was the 49ers easily defeating the Green Bay Packers 37-20. It was all San Francisco to start as it jumped out to a 27-0 lead at halftime. Aaron Rodgers had 326 yards and two touchdowns for Green Bay but also threw two interceptions, was sacked three times and lost a fumble.
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw just eight times for 77 yards, but they didn’t need him as their run game was dominant. Raheem Mostert rushed 29 times for 220 yards and a remarkable four touchdowns.
Fitzgerald To Return For Another Season
It has always been evident that Larry Fitzgerald loves football, and now, it appears the 36-year-old isn’t quite done with it as he and the Arizona Cardinals agreed to a new one-year deal for $11 million. Despite being the oldest wide receiver in the league, Fitzgerald still put up respectable numbers this season.
Fitzgerald had 75 receptions for 804 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games. With rookie Kyler Murray under center, Fitzgerald served as a steady veteran presence, and he will hope to keep that going next season.
Brown, Agent Part Ways
Antonio Brown’s issues off the field have been continuing, and now it appears to have been enough for his agent to say goodbye. Agent Drew Rosenhaus has dropped Brown as a client unless he can get help. Unfortunately, things just seem to be unraveling even more for the former All-Pro wide receiver.
In addition to not being able to stick with a team on the field, he is consistently running into trouble with the law off the field, most notably concerns of domestic violence. When right, the wide receiver is as good as it gets. Unfortunately, though, with the countless off-the-field issues, it appears that his days in the NFL may be over.
Garrett Joins Rival Team
Well, it did not take long for Jason Garrett to find a new job, and it appears that he will be staying in the NFC East. The New York Giants and new head coach Joe Judge have decided to hire Garrett as their new offensive coordinator.
This season with Dallas, Garrett had the Cowboys as the sixth-best team in points scored, as they averaged 27.1 points. The Giants averaged just 21.3 points per game.
While some of the other positions may be a little weaker, Garrett will go from one of the best running backs into the league to another as he leaves Ezekiel Elliott behind in favor of Saquon Barkley. Regardless, the Giants will hope that Garrett and Judge can help to turn around the storied franchise.
Edelman Undergoes Surgery
Julian Edelman, the 33-year-old New England Patriots wide receiver, underwent shoulder surgery. Given that he was not immune to the injury list this year, it is not altogether shocking, and it certainly does not sound serious.
In fact, expectations are that he will be able to participate in any offseason activities in preparation for next year. This year, Edelman had 100 catches for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns.
