Championship Sunday Recap With Alex Bleuel


Championship Sunday Recap With Alex Bleuel


In this episode, Alex Bleuel and I look back at a memorable Championship Sunday, which the Cincinnati Bengals and LA Rams booked their tickets to Super Bowl LVI. First, we look at how the Bengals shocked the reigning AFC kings, the Kansas City Chiefs, in the AFC Championship Game. Alex opens by saying how there were very few people predicting the Bengals to win the AFC. Most people predicted the Chiefs or Bills as the AFC winner. Alex also states how he thought the Bengals could be a sleeper. We take a look at a couple of monster wager wins. One bettor won $60,000 by correctly predicting a Cincy AFC Championship crown. Alex remembers one person putting $20 on a Bengals 27-24 and Rams 20-17 parlay - winning $579,000. In what continues a crazy season, the Bengals stunned the Chiefs. Joe Burrow, in just his second year, continues his winning ways. I explain how the Bengals went from the NFL's worst team in 2019 to conference champs. Much of it lies with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Both former LSU Tigers raises Cincinnati's ceiling to new levels. Even though it is 2022, 2021 saw the Atlanta Braves win their first World Series since 1995 and Georgia Football ending a 41-year drought without a national championship. For the Bengals, deja vu seems to be an ongoing trend during the playoffs. In the Week 17 win and yesterday's win over the Chiefs, Cincy allowed three second-half points. The Bengals also intercepted a key pass late in all three wins. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson also booted four field goals in all three wins. We also look at how Tee Higgins could be the unsung hero for this team with his big day as the team's no. 2 receiver. We then try and answer what went wrong with Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes. After an incredible performance against the Bills and a strong first half, Mahomes threw two costly interceptions in the second half. I state how the second half was his worst half of his career. We also look back at KC's inability to not score at the first half as a major momentum boost for the Bengals not giving up any points after a dominant first half for KC's offense. Instead of leading 24 or 28-10 at halftime, the Chiefs only led 21-10 - giving the Bengals a way to get back in the game. Then, it is on to the California Coast, where the LA Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. I compliment Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for enduring 12 years of dysfunction, help, and no playoff wins with the Detroit Lions. Yesterday, Stafford withstood SF's aggressive pass-rushers for the whole game. I say how the Rams would not have won without making the Jared Goff for Stafford move. Alex says Stafford is underrated. The Rams also possess the NFL's top receiver in Cooper Kupp and a man built for LA in Odell Beckham Jr. We also look at 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's inability to hold big leads in the playoffs. We also look at SF's lack of rushing with a run-first team as a major negative for SF's defeat. Finally, we look at how both coaches represent the new wave of young offensive-minded coaches in the NFL. Another fun memory is that Bengals head coach Zach Taylor was the quarterback coach Sean McVay in 2018. We look at how these young coaches are changing how NFL these leaders are creating fun offenses.