OPINION:
Stefon Diggs, ladies and gentlemen. Stefon Diggs.
High school football fans here saw his greatness at Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. University of Maryland fans saw his greatness at College Park. NFL fans have seen his greatness since he came into the league three years ago, drafted in the fifth round by the Minnesota Vikings.
And now the world will wake up Monday morning to the greatness of Stefon Diggs, who pulled down a dramatic game-winning catch with the clock running down to zero and led the Vikings to a 29-24 come-from-behind victory over the New Orleans Saints that they will talk about for years in the land of 10,000 lakes.
In a game that the Vikings dominated for much of the afternoon — leading 17-0 at the half — the Saints and Drew Brees came off the canvas to get into a Hearns-Hagler-like brawl, with three scoring changes in the final three minutes.
With the Saints leading 21-20, former Redskins kicker Kai Forbath hit a 53-yard field goal with 1:29 remaining to give Minnesota a 23-21 lead. But Brees seemed to add another chapter to his Hall of Fame career when he led New Orleans down the field after the kickoff — including a 13-yard completion to Willie Snead on a fourth down and 10 — to set up Saints kicker Wil Lutz with a 43-yard field goal to give the Saints back a 24-23 lead with 29 seconds left.
But the best was yet to come, as Vikings quarterback Case Keenum — their third string passer when the season began — connected with just 10 second left in the game with Diggs on a 61-yard touchdown pass, sending the fans and Vikings players at U.S. Bank Stadium into a joyous frenzy.
AUDIO: Former Terp player and assistant coach Billy Hahn with Thom Loverro
Now the Vikings — led by their coach, Mike Zimmer, the other Cincinnati Bengals coordinator who was hired the same time Jay Gruden was in Washington — will face the Eagles in Philadelphia in the NFC Championship game on Sunday.
It was the second part of a dramatic doubleheader of NFL football — far different in terms of excitement and play than we saw in the league much of this season.
We figured that the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to play in a dramatic postseason game during these NFL playoffs.
We just didn’t think it would be against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In a memorable opening contest Sunday at Heinz Field, the Jaguars — 3-13 last season — handed the Steelers a stunning 45-42 defeat, upsetting plans for the anticipated rematch between Pittsburgh and New England for the AFC championship.
Instead, it will be the Patriots hosting the Jaguars — a rematch of the 1996 AFC title game, when Tom Coughlin, now the Jaguars executive vice president of football operations, was the head coach in Jacksonville facing a New England team then with Bill Belichick as Bill Parcells secondary coach.
No one expected Jacksonville, which struggled to put points on the board in their lackluster 10-3 win wild card win over the Buffalo Bills last weekend, to put 45 points up on the Steelers in Pittsburgh. And no one expected Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles to outduel Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the fourth quarter Sunday with the game on the line.
But Bortles — who was 9-for-20 in the first three quarters for 94 — suddenly found a rhythm he rarely has shown before on the field, completing five out of six passes for 120 yards and one touchdown, all in key situations. Bortles clutch quarter, along with Jacksonville’s stiff defense, Leonard Fournette’s running and Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin’s questionable play calling, sealed the win for the Jaguars.
Redskins fans who are still hurting on missing out on an 8-8 season, consider this: the Jaguars didn’t even exist the last time the Redskins played in a conference championship. Now Jacksonville will play in its third AFC title game. And for those who believe Bortles’ performance means Kirk Cousins will have one less suitor now in free agency — it was one quarter. Last week, Bortles was 12-for-23 for 87 yards and one touchdown.
Bill Belichick is waiting.
In the nightcap Saturday, it was business as usual — the Patriots disposed of the Tennessee Titans 35-14 behind the remarkable arm and body of 40-year-old Tom Brady (his 13th career 300-yard postseason passing game and his record 25th career postseason win) and the brilliant, methodical mind of Belichick.
They say that while the rest of the league is playing checkers, Belichick is playing chess. Saturday, the Titans couldn’t even muster a game of Tiddlywinks against New England, who will be playing in their seventh straight AFC Championship Game. “It’s just a lot of good coaching, a lot of good football players, and we recognize we have a great chance here, and we want to maximize our opportunities,” Patriots receiver Danny Amendola told reporters.
That’s all.
And for those conspiracy theorists who believe the officials are make calls favoring the Patriots — remember, this is a league that turned itself inside-out to hang their biggest star in Brady and Belichick out to dry on trumped up deflated football charges. No one is helping the Patriots. They don’t need it.
The Eagles — 15-10 winners Saturday in their divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons — role model going into these NFL playoffs have been the 1990 New York Giants — who, after losing their starting Super Bowl quarterback, Phil Simms, ran, picked, plucked and defended their way to the Super Bowl XXV championship behind two key players — backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler and Belichick, the Giants defensive coordinator.
Nick Foles, playing the role of Hostetler, with star quarterback Carson Wentz sidelined for the season in Week 14 with torn knee ligaments, was efficient and mistake-free, completing 23 of 30 passes for 246 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. And Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz played the role of Belichick, putting together a defensive plan that shut down the Atlanta Falcons offense, holding them to just 10 points.
It was Schwartz’s defense that pressured Falcons star quarterback Matt Ryan, who threw for just 210 yards and was sacked three times, and then staged a last-minute goal-line stand to preserve the win.
Schwartz, the Baltimore-born and Georgetown graduate who went on to coach the Detroit Lions for five seasons, is likely defensive game-planning his way into another head coaching job next season. And, for you Redskins fans, discarded Washington quarterback Nate Sudfeld is one hit away from playing in the NFC title game as the Eagles’ backup.
• Thom Loverro hosts his weekly podcast “Cigars & Curveballs” Wednesdays available on iTunes, Google Play and the reVolver podcast network.
• Thom Loverro can be reached at tloverro@washingtontimes.com.
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