The 2017-18 NFL conference championships put the Patriots vs. the Jaguars, and the Eagles vs. the Vikings. Here are five things that mildly thrilled me leading up to pro football’s “final four.”

#1: Hooray for disrespected quarterbacks that beat the all-timers. New England’s Tom Brady is a no-brainer first-ballot Hall of Famer already. The other three have been doubted consistently throughout the season. “I take Matt Ryan over Nick Foles every single time,” numerous professional football talkers smirked, before Atlanta’s anemic offense lost to Philly. One media outlet headline even read, “Atlanta Falcons somehow lose to Nick Foles.”

The same confidence was granted to Drew Brees over Case Keenum, and to Ben Roethlisberger over Blake Bortles. Well, how did that work out for ya, degenerate gamblers? Brees and Big Ben did play extremely well, but they still lost. It feels good to see the belittled man come out on top.

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#2: Marcus Williams’s missed tackle equals Madden Football novice. Any Madden video game player remembers when he was new at the game. At some point in a game, that newbie player would be on defense, and trying to make an open-field tackle. A spin-move or stiff arm by a more experienced player would cause the new guy to dive head first into thin air. There are few things more humiliating in the world of gaming than that.

When I used to play Madden, there were sometimes lots of other guys in the room watching. Such a missed tackle was greeted with laughter and mocking. I always imagined what such a whiff would look like in real life, on a huge stage with many people watching. Now I know: Everybody sat there drooling, muttering, “Oh, my God.”

#3: The New Orleans Saints’ weird loss was good, because that 2009 title never smelled correct. From the opening game of that season, where America and the NFL seemed to gather up hands to support a city which had been flooded, the Saints seemed destined, or at least favored, to win it all.

There was definitely an overarching desire to see New Orleans in the championship that year. As if a Lombardi trophy would make up for thousands of dead and displaced citizens. The feel-good story was too fitting to be ignored, and people wished for it. And then, after weird calls in the NFC championship versus the Vikings, it came true. Everyone was happy, except for those of us who retch at that kind of sentimentality. The Saints got their lucky sympathy ring against Peyton Manning and the Colts. They don’t need anymore help, at least until the next one.

 

Related: 7 Great Things about Super Bowl 50.

#4: I like when the Pittsburgh Steelers are not just beaten, but humbled, on a large stage. When insufferable fans and players are mentioned, the Steeler faithful are usually never pointed out. They feel they deserve to be entitled for their team’s long-term success.

That entitlement is the reason for coach Mike Tomlin’s “accidental” step into the field of play one year, stopping a sure touchdown for the other team. And that is just one illustration of Pittsburgh’s self-importance over many years. The Terrible Towel chewers are only echoing the players’ arrogance. That pride got snacked on by the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars for the second time in one season.

#5: The Eagles are the only NFC East team without a ring. No matter how well they do, the other three teams in the division can shut mouths with that fact.

I have no skin in the games, but a Philadelphia Super Bowl win would be sweet. Especially if Nick Foles is the quarterback. I feel similarly about Keenum and the Minnesota Vikings. Why? Because I don’t just root for chaos. I root for the variety of chaos which makes the sports media talking heads explode.