NFL Playoffs teams as Game of Thrones Characters - 2020 edition

2020 NFL Playoff Teams as Game of Thrones Characters 

This year it’s funny - cuz we know how GOT ends (at least the HBO version) - so in the past - being Dany Targaryen was a great thing - this year not necessarily

Forgot to assign the 49ers in the notes - but they’re Bronn perhaps  
*Apologies the spelling is going to be atrocious on these notes* Places Listening #1 France five weeks straight, USA #2, Australia #3, followed by UK, Egypt, Indonesia, Canada, Russia, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Sri Lanka Top Cities after the Number 1 City of Lights aka Paris, Mountain View, CA, Cornelius, NC, Miami, Barcelona, Brisbane, Cairo and Colombo Thoughts going out to Australia and also Puerto Rico Subscribe on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud or Google Play Music - follow us on twitter and instagram @filibusterfreestyle and we’re always available with episodes and show notes on filibusterfreestyle.com Pour some out for the 4 teams that are already gone. Buffalo Bills - The Dothraki at the beginning of the “Long Night Episode” - came out on the road - swords blazing - ready to roll. Looked unbeatable for a while - but their plan/tactics appeared to be one dimensional and after getting out to a long lead, they were snuffed out 1 by 1 or point by point until ultimately falling. It’s not a perfect analogy for several reasons - but hey — if you want better analysis, don’t lose in round 1 Buffalo Bills. Shout out to the Bills Mafia for buying all of the folding tables in Metro Houston area though. New Orleans Saints - This one hurts but - Oberyn Martell - the Red Viper of Dorne. Supreme Skill and Talent from the deep south. But in the end they were a bit too careless and when leaving things up to chance and/or the refs — their opponent did just enough to keep it close and then by the end - squish their head’s like a grape in excruciating fashion on the game’s final play in overtime. Philadelphia Eagles - Wun-Wun the giant at the end of the Battle of the bastards. They overcame everything to get to this point. They’ve got an A+ pedigree for getting the job done. But they were just too hurt to survive. There’s also an analogy in there for Ramsey Bolton’s cheap shot arrow to Wun-Wun’s eyes — as pertaining to the hit by Jadaveon Clowney on Carsen Wentz. And mad props to Josh McCown for coming off the bench into his first playoff game ever at 40 years old.  

New England Patriots - King Robert Baratheon. They’ve been sitting on the throne, ruling the realm for several years. In the end, they went down via a combination of sloppiness (roster management), Betrayal (trust the likes of Josh Gordon and Antonio Brown), and getting killed while over confident — the Dolphins loss was the wild boar in the forest and the inability to recover is the suspected inside job (Mike Vrabel) playing the role of Robert’s inner circle (Cersei, Littlefinger, Grandmaester Pycell, et al)

So who’s left: The 49ers vs. the Vikings // The Ravens vs. the Titans // The Chiefs vs. the Texans // The Packers vs. the Seahawks 

I legitimately think the Ravens are a lock for the AFC - but Obviously the Chiefs have a slim chance. 

in the NFC - I can’t see the Vikings winning 2 more road games, but the Packers, 49ers and Seahawks all have alligator blood and/or X-factors at QB which mean they can definitely string 2 are wins together to reach Miami 

Minnesota Vikings - Robb Stark — they are from the North. They’ve got a righteous cause (Never won the super bowl) like Robb was trying to avenge Ned Stark. In the end Rob Stark proved to be a little too naive and a little too trusting of being on the side of “good”. But the Game of Thrones is "a ladder filled with chaos” to paraphrase Little Finger. 

Prediction: I can’t see the Vikings getting by San Francisco - but if they do, they likely face “fellow northmen” in Green Bay - and just as Robb Stark couldn’t overcome a northern mutiny by the Bolton’s and Frey’s — Minnesota’s Super Bowl drought will continue 

Baltimore Ravens - Appear to be Drogon in season 8 going absolutely HAM on the entire population of King’s Landing. This is a team that prides itself on being built to beat the Steelers and the Patriots but they stumbled onto a power that is basically capable of destroying everything and everything just for "Esses and Gigs”. Nobody has an answer for them and the only ones who can truly stop them at least in the AFC are themselves. 

Tennessee Titans - Lots of ways to go here but I’m going to go with the Hound. Foulmouthed and smarter than they let on. They find a way to survive and honestly the more time you spend with them, the more you like them despite themselves. Much like the hound has an aversion to fire and an obsession with a family member (Vrabel is a Belichick mini-me and the Hound is the Mountain’s lil brosef).  The Hound is a battering ram like the Titans ground game. The only issue — they can’t defeat everybody they need to without sacrificing themselves in the process. The Ravens aren’t the Mountain — they are the fire that the Hound and Mountain plunge into from the top of the Red Keep. 

Prediction: Ravens by 10+ points and it’ll never be in doubt. 

Houston Texans — these Cats are the “trick or treat team remaining”. First half vs. Bills they got worked. Second Half Watson took over and they made just enough plays to win. These guys are like Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr — they’ve got nine lives and they can keep stuff interesting but in the end — they are bit characters who don’t have the juice to make it to Miami

Kansas City Chiefs — No disrespect, cuz I like these guys — but my take is, they are the Night’s King with the Ice Dragon. We thought at the end of last season, they were going to become dominate this season and beyond. But the emergence of the Ravens makes me think that they could be beatable like the Night Kings getting iced by a 12 year old assassin aka Arya the MVP Stark. But if the show runners had done a better job with season 8’s pacing — the battle between Drogon and Ice Viserion could’ve been way more epic — and that’s what we could get in the AFC title game. 

Prediction: Chiefs should find a way against Texans but also could stumble. 

Green Bay Packers — A lot of ways to go here - but let’s pay homage to the leading ladies of Westeros. Dany, Cersei, Sansa, maybe even Arya is the best. They’ve been the favorites, they’ve been also rans, they’ve been #1 and they’ve been left for dead. They’ve been injured, yada, yada, yada — but they’ve got a set of skills that keeps them on the field with any body and a home field in this round that could prove just treacherous enough to advance. 

Let’s put it this way — if they win the Super Bowl, they are a combination of the Stark sisters — Kill the Night’s king and rule the North alone. If the Packers lose at home to the Seahawks, they are Cersei getting crushed underneath the bricks of the Red Keep. if they lose at San Fran or if they make it to the Bowl and lose with the throne in their grasp, they are Dany T the mother of Dragons — they had it all but at the end just not enough to actually rule. 

Seattle Seahawks — Euron Greyjoy and the Iron Fleet. They’re better away from home (but can’t stray too far from their style of fight). They’ll fight a bit dirty, they’ll ambush you, and their costuming is unique for the world they inhabit. In the end, they’re a little too rowdy to string 3 wins together on the road and if Green bay turns into the frozen tundra, they’re ships won’t be able to move well enough to win.

Game of Thrones as 2019 NFL Playoff Teams PART 2 Podcast

Filibuster Freestyle’s 4th annual NFL Playoff teams as Game of Thrones Characters is here and these are the Part 2 podcast notes:

LA Chargers  - Daenerys Targaryen (while she was still in Meereen) - Essentially displaced/ homeless and they have to go east if they want to “go west” aka win the title. Her Dragons were young, the cards were stacked against her, she wasn’t even beloved in her home town, she had to leave her home town due to a lack of support. The chargers have had terrible luck with Kickers, people question their QB and coach a lot, but there is potential for greatness. They’ve won on the road despite  history of not doing so. Nobody is sure how much trust to put in the Chargers, but no one seems to want to face them, and no one seems to hate them.

Baltimore Ravens (House Stark after killing Little Finger) - The Ravens seemed to be left for dead with Joe Flacco at the helm. There was talk of John Harbaugh not coming back, enter Lamar Jackson at QB and everything has changed. The Ravens seem to find a way to win ugly and/or survive to fight another day. Jon Snow at Hardhome, John Snow when he was saved by Uncle Benjen stark after the Night’s Kings killed Viserion the Dragons.) Now House Stark has Bran reunited with Arya and Sansa, and their slitting little fingers’ throats, they killed Ramsay Bolton with his own Dogs, they are poised to recover from certain defeat. 

Philadelphia Eagles - Welp this is a story about the ability to hang on to power when all seems lost. Nick Foles is the “wildfire”. This is Cersei Lannister using Wildfire with Maester Qyburn and blowing up all of her enemies at once in the Sept. The eagles were having the classic super bowl hangover. Everybody was coming for them and coming for them hard. They seemed to have painted themselves into a corner with no plausible escape… and then the ineffective Carson Wentz is “injured” and they insert Nick Foles. Nick Foles is the Wildfire. He allows for an inexplicable change of momentum, just like Cersei’s stunt at Great Sept of Baelor.

Chicago Bears - Night’s King Army and Khalil Mack is the ice dragon, Viserion. They were going to be tough to defeat, but they were outgunned in terms of game changing dragons, and then Jon Gruden gifted the Bears an asset who takes them to another level. 

New England Patriots - The Patriots have always been featured as somebody like Tyrion Lannister or the Night’s King. But I think this year’s Patriots are Jamie Lannister at the battle in Season 6 or 7 with Sam Tarly’s dad and Dickon Tarly. When Dany had three Dragons, and only a heroic move by Bronn saved jamie from being burned alive. The patriots are a shadow of their former selves, as is the 1 handed Jamie, and they are out gunned. But, they are wiley, so there’s a small chance they survive, but not because they are the best team. 

Kansas City Chiefs - Missing Karim Hunt really changed things a bit for the Chiefs —so this was my toughest team to provide a game of thrones character. But here it is… This whole tale started after a young Robert Baratheon struck down Rhaegar Targaryen at the Trident (and then Jamie Lannister killed Aerys the 2nd (the Mad king). If the Chiefs win the super bowl, they are young Robert Baratheon and if they get knocked off, they are Rhaegar Targaryen. And the beauty of this comparison — Rhaegar is actually Jon Snow’s dad. And I’m convinced that Patrick Mahomes will lift the Lombardi Trophy one day, if not this year… just as Rhaegar lost the battle of the Trident, but “won the war” by conceiving Jon with Lyanna Stark. 

LA Rams - Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne — The NFL Season is long and drought with peril — The Rams came out of the gates like Oberyn Martell against the mountain and seemed destined for the Super Bowl but, after the past month, I’m increasing concerned that one of these NFC defenses might squish their heads like a Giant Grape. (Fake band name of the week, “Giant Grape”)

New Orleans Saints - The Unsullied. The saints seem to have all the weapons and the home fortress to defend. They might be a little one dimensional, but at the end of the day, if they can play their game on their home turf in the style in which they’re accustomed, aka no gimmick football - they’ve got a it handled. 

2019 NFL Playoff Teams as Game of Thrones characters (Part 1)

2019 NFL Playoff teams as Game of Thrones Characters 

Congrats to Dan Ruttle on winning the Filibuster Freestyle Fantasy Football Championship - the aptly named “Valaryian Steelers” 

Places listening: Ashburn, VA Boston, MA Cembo Philippines  Tucson, AZ and more 

Philippines, France, Canada, UK, Egypt, Portugal, Indonesia 

Indianapolis Colts - Theon Greyjoy (at the end of season 7). They started 1-5, there were question marks if they’d ever get back their pride (deflate gate, Andrew Luck injuries, Owner having public substance abuse issues, Josh McDaniel big timing them at the alter). this is all like Theon’s run of bad decisions, spineless decisions and dishonorable decisions, but on Dragonstone, theon Head butted his way back to the respect of his men, and is now on the hunt for his sister Yara. IN essence he’s got his mojo back and the Colts do to. I don’t think they’ll have any shot at the throne, but they’re once again an interesting component of this narrative 

Houston Texans - Berric Dondarrion - they were 0-3 and seemed dead. Deshaun Watson had a catastrophic leg/knee injury - but he regained his form and the Texans regained their’s. I’m not sure that Bill O’Brien is Thoros of Myr - but either way, as reincarnations in GOT go, i’m not sure the Texans are ready to be Jon Snow or even the mountain in terms of rising up… but at the very least — they’ve got a new lease on life for sure. 

Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks are Jorah Mormot. They rose up from disgrace back in the day to become major players under Pete Carroll. Then they were cast aside, and left for dead (gray scale), but somehow found a way to get cured, cleanse themselves and get back onto the right side of the narrative. I’m not sure that they’re road this year leads them all the way to glory, but they’ve got  mix of luck, skill and knowledge that could keep them alive. 

Dallas Cowboys - I’m going with Tywin Lannister (father to Jamie & Cersei and allegedly Tyrion) because I think Jerry Jones is more like Tywin Lannister than another NFL owner. Overbearing, always asserting himself into the narrative, seems to have the deepest pockets and eventually get his way. Some love him, more fear him, but most just can’t stand him.  

NFL playoff teams as Game of Thrones characters

 2018 NFL Playoff teams as GOT characters 

Which fan base Eagles fans hate (of the playoff teams)

Also - playoff teams as game of thrones characters = DOPE idea

Congrats to Dan O’Brien of “Paul is Dead” on winning the Filibuster Freestyle Fantasy Football Championship

Places listening Des Moines, Iowa 

Ashburn VA , Athens Greece #3 

Mountain View, CA new comer in Middletown RI

A Coruna Spain - beautiful Costal / port city in northwestern Spain. 

And Anchorage Alaska - we’re on the crab

Greece, Uk, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland

Ukraine, Kuwait, Lebanon, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka Saudi Arabia and Philippines

New England Patriots - Tyrion Lannister - they know everything, equally hateable and admirable - -but sometimes get too cute for their own good and/ or get beaten in obvious ways

Pittsburgh Steelers - Oberyn Martell - flashy offense could defeat anybody - but ultimately a little too predictable to exploit their faults

Jacksonville Jaguars - Bronn - finding a way to get it done via one or two skills and nothing else. Won’t be surprised if he dies at anytime - but also not surprised that he keeps living

Kansas City Chiefs - Cersei Lannister - one day they seem like geniuses, the next week they seem doomed - can’t figure out the role that they will play at the end of the narrative, but getting the feeling they’ll be central to the story

Tennessee Titans - the Sand Snakes of Dorne  - want to be interested in them, want to see their story become interesting - but in the end, they appear to be fodder for mainstream characters

Buffalo Bills - Theon Greyjoy - they’ve had an un-redeemingly bad run. They sold out their own family (playing games in Toronto), and jumping overboard on Yara aka Tyron Taylor. 

nobody thinks they still belong alive - but they are and they recently came through in their darkest hour. 

Philadelphia Eagles - Daenerys Targaryen- with Carson Wentz - they were seemingly unstoppable- but losing him was like losing Viscerion - only difference is he isn’t now playing for the night’s king (ahem Jimmy G is)

Minnesota Vikings - Jon Snow - seemed like they were left for dead - killed by getting QB’s hurt in practice or during games, only to find out that the answer was within them the whole time - Case Keenum is the unlikely leader of a fierce army in the north

New Orleans Saints - Jamie Lannister - all the skills but one major hindering factor - for Jamie it was losing his hand (or and terrible choice in ladies), for the saints its leaving the dome in cold weather

LA Rams - Arya Stark - have all the tools to be deadly assasins - but very young and maybe not yet ready to defeat everybody

Carolina Panthers - Sam and Gilly ? Boring but potentially important?? Hodor ? One dimensional but effective??? Gendry? Forgotten but possibly a baller ?? Daario Naharis? Flashy yes?! Important two years ago, definitely ? Important now? That remains to be seen

Atlanta Falcons - Brann Stark - all the tools to absolutely destroy everyone in their path - but seem to be missing the ability to harness their powers consistently

Most fan bases hate eagles fans, who in the playoffs do eagles fans hate the most ??

Where was the confidence level before Wentz got injured? Has it ever been higher ?