NFL Notebook: Aaron Rodgers takes center stage Saturday

The first weekend of the 2022 NFL Playoffs is in the books, and it was certainly an eventful one. In this week’s NFL Notebook, we’ll take looks back and forward, plus glance around the league at other headlines worthy of your attention. Let’s dive in!

Prescott Fined For Post-Loss Comments

The ending to Sunday’s contest between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys has been discussed ad nauseum over the past few days. Needless to say, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was not happy with the officiating, and he gave credit to angry fans who hurled trash at the referees after the clock hit all-zeroes.

This, of course, didn’t sit well with league management, who docked him $25,000. Prescott apologized for his remarks via Twitter on Tuesday.

Cincinnati-Vegas Officials Also Under Scrutiny

The only other playoff game decided by a single score came last Saturday, when the Cincinnati Bengals prevailed over the Las Vegas Raiders by a 26-19 margin. A controversy over an inadvertent whistle, however, put the focus not on Joe Burrow and company, but on officials from various regular-season crews led by head referee Jerome Boger. Multiple sources have reported that Boger and the other officials from that game are unlikely to work again this postseason due to their performance in that contest.

Rodgers, Packers have Super Bowl in their sights

The first doubleheader of the weekend will be capped off by the Green Bay Packers hosting the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field. MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers will look to exorcise some demons in this contest. He’s 0-3 against San Francisco in the postseason, with the most recent loss coming in the NFC Championship game two seasons ago.

The early game will see the Bengals travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans. Cincinnati’s win last weekend was the first postseason victory for the Bengals in 31 years. Another triumph would mean the first playoff winning streak for the organization since 1989, when they lost the Super Bowl to a Joe Montana-led 49ers team.

Two Power-Packed Games Sunday

The reigning conference champions will both host home games Sunday, but neither should expect a cakewalk. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will lead off with a tilt against the Los Angeles Rams, who easily dispatched the Arizona Cardinals Monday. That win was quarterback Matthew Stafford’s first postseason victory, but the going gets considerably tougher this weekend in Florida.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Buffalo Bills. Both teams are coming off runaway wins last weekend, having dispatched the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, respectively.