George Kittle celebrates his spectacular catch in the playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys.Image: FR170650 AP / Jed Jacobsohn
NFL
Tight ends are particularly popular among NFL fans: the players at the end of the O-Line are used as extra blockers, but they can also charge and position themselves as pass receivers – some are extremely agile, so you can easily give them the ball under pressure can hold in hand. This makes them particularly useful in trick plays. This is usually well received by viewers.
Most recently, George Kittle caused a sensation in the playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys: In the third quarter, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy sent his tight end deep through the middle at a score of 9-9. Kittle stopped the low pass over 30 yards with one hand, but couldn’t control it immediately. Instead, the ball bounced off Kittle’s helmet, and the 29-year-old had to catch up three times, but just managed to get it under control before falling to the ground.
In retrospect, the four-time pro bowler explained his spectacular catch with a smile.
“A bit of drama, increase the odds”: Kittle steals the show with a strong defense
“I was just trying to create some drama,” he joked after the game. “I did it for TV. A bit of drama, increase ratings, that’s what we’re here for,” Kittle explained with a grin. Sure, a receiver doesn’t want to admit to having to follow up three times when trying to catch.
The San Francisco fans shouldn’t care much how the catch came about: The successful move freed San Francisco from their own half. At the end of the drive came San Francisco’s only touchdown of the game.
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But that was enough: Due to an extremely strong defensive performance, the 49ers won 19:12. The notorious defensive bulwark limited the Dallas offensive to 286 yards, and Deommodore Lenoir and Fred Warner were also able to intercept two passes.
George Kittle and the 49ers are just one win away from the Super Bowl.Image: AP / Godofredo A. Vasquez
NFC final promises defensive battle
The two best defenses in the league now meet in the NFC Championship Game: While the 49ers only allowed an average of 301 yards to gain space (2nd place in the NFL), the Philadelphia Eagles only allowed 297 yards. However, in the table of points allowed (16.4 per game) and turnovers won (1.8 per game) there is no way around San Francisco.
The Eagles, who were the strongest team in the NFC in the regular season (14 wins, 3 losses) and therefore had the last week off, defeated the New York Giants 38:7 on Sunday night. The team around quarterback Jalen Hurts will therefore enjoy home rights next Sunday against San Francisco (9 p.m. CET).
In the AFC, the cracker between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals rises three and a half hours later. The AFC Finals is the stark opposite of the NFC, where Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes – who arguably leads the league’s best offense – meets college legend Joe Burrow, the designated MVP of the season.
Joe Burrow beat Mahomes in the playoffs a year ago and on Matchday 13 in December.Image: The Cincinnati Enquirer / Kareem Elgazzar
This is the remake of last season’s AFC Championship game. Although the Bengals won 34:31, the Chiefs are favorites again due to their strong season.
However, the Chiefs are still worried about Mahomes. During the game against the Jaguars on Saturday, an opponent fell on the 27-year-old’s ankle. An MRI revealed an ankle sprain. It is still unclear how bad this sprain is.
BVB went on a big shopping spree in the summer: Dortmund paid a total of 91 million euros for ten newcomers. The first half of the season was rather disappointing after that – Borussia was in sixth place during the World Cup break, and BVB is currently seven points behind defending champions Bayern Munich.
