I never thought I'd live to see a loss as crushing as the Packers' 28-22 heartbreaker against the Seahawks in the 2014 NFC Championship Game. Then Super Bowl LI happened.

Back when Aaron Rodgers and Co. failed to close out Seattle, I viewed it as -- when factoring in the stakes and the degree of difficulty necessary to blow it -- the worst playoff loss in NFL history. The day after the game, I wrote a piece breaking down the eight plays that doomed the Packers.

I'll run that exercise back for the 2016 Falcons. If Atlanta has a favorable outcome in any of the situations below, they probably have a Lombardi Trophy right now. A warning that this is not for the faint of heart.

We learned Wednesday that Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith would not return in his role with the team next season. It was a reminder of how savage pro football can be as a business. Three days earlier, Smith was pitching the coordinator equivalent of a perfect game, holding Tom Brady and the Patriots to a measly field goal midway through the third quarter. And now the Pats were opting to go for it on fourth down in their own territory! The Falcons get a stop here, and they could be taking a 25-point lead -- at least! -- into the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI.

Tom Brady and Danny "I Save My Good Games For Super Bowls" Amendola had other plans.

The Patriots were as desperate as we've ever seen them. Down 28-9 with 2:06 to play in the third quarter after New England's first touchdown, Bill Belichick called for an onside kick. The Falcons recovered, which didn't even matter, since the ball deflected off Steven Gostkowski's leg before it had traveled the necessary 10 yards.

The Falcons had the ball, up 19 points, in Patriots territory, with 17 minutes to play. They moved to the 32-yard line on a Matt Ryan-to-Austin Hooper 9-yard completion to start the possession. Then the first of several mini-catastrophes to come: Left tackle Jake Matthews was called for holding on the next play (more on poor Jake later), the Falcons burned a timeout, Ryan threw an incompletion, then took a sack. Backed up to midfield, Atlanta punted it away, a golden opportunity to put more points on the board -- and quell New England's momentum -- lost.

I get it. The Falcons were aggressive in their play calling all season long. The idea of a shotgun formation and pass play on third-and-1 was not crazy when you know the history of Kyle Shanahan's explosive offense in 2016. But it was still a bad call. The Falcons had the benefit of being conservative in that spot. The clock was still their friend. Run the ball and take the odds that you'll get the five feet you need for a first down.

But Shanahan stayed aggressive and Devonta Freeman couldn't pick up a surging Dont'a Hightower. The result was disastrous. The Patriots now had a detectable pulse. There was a buzz in the building. This could happen.

The Patriots quickly turned that Ryan turnover into six points. But the Falcons were still OK, even if it didn't feel that way. If they could stop New England's two-point conversion attempt, they'd have a 10-point lead with 5:56 to play.

That's when Josh McDaniels reached back for an old Patriots favoritein the playbook. The demonic trickery made it a one-score game.

I have no idea how Julio got his feet down after corralling this Ryan pass. But he did, and it should have been remembered as the play that clinched the city of Atlanta's second professional sports championship in 179 combined seasons. The 27-yard completion set the Falcons up perfectly: First-and-10, ball on New England's 22-yard line, 4:40 to play, a 28-20 lead.

A field goal and the game is basically over. Once again, Shanahan had the luxury to go conservative and rely on the running game. Even if you fail to move the ball, you take precious time off the clock and remain well within Matt Bryant's field-goal range. But after a 1-yard loss on a Freeman rush on first down, Ryan lined up in shotgun and took a terrible sack, this time by Trey Flowers. A subsequent 9-yard completion to Mo Sanu is wiped out by a second killer Jake Matthews holding call. After an incompletion, the Falcons were forced to punt.

Atlanta went from first-and-10 from the Patriots' 22 to fourth-and-33 from the 45. The free fall was on.

One of the great catches in Super Bowl history, and also one of the most important. When the ball pops in the air, the fate of Super Bowl LI hangs in the balance. Was Edelman in the right spot ... or did he simply want it more? Whatever the case, Atlanta had just missed another golden opportunity to avoid the greatest collapse in NFL history. There was an inevitability in the air at this point.

The Falcons had cratered, but incredibly, they were still OK. Clinging to a two-point lead with 57 seconds to play, they would still likely win Super Bowl LI if they could stop the Patriots from converting on a second two-point conversion attempt.

They don't come close. Not only does Danny Amendola find the end zone on one of those unstoppable New England goal line routes, Dwight Freeney got flagged for offsides for good measure. The game was tied, but it already felt over.

The Falcons were shell-shocked, their defense cooked. In a game they once led 28-3, Atlanta was reduced to praying a coin flip went their way. It didn't. The Patriots won the toss and marched down the field for the game-winning touchdown. Brady never even took a snap on third down during the possession. It wasn't a drive so much as a coronation.

If Atlanta wins the toss, perhaps they re-group. Perhaps that incredible offense finds a way. We'll never know.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus and check out his stuff on the End Around.

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Super Bowl LI pain train: Anatomy of Falcons' collapse - NFL.com

When I found out that Maggie's mother was going to show up on Grey's Anatomy, I was a little sulky about it at first. Why is Grey's always trotting out new guest stars? Why do the characters we've fallen in love with disappear forever? I know the answer to that second question is, "Because a whole bunch of them are dead and a few more of their performers are dead to Shonda." Still, it's a little bittersweet to meet Maggie's mom when who I'd really love to see again are family members like Derek's mother or sister or ex-wife. Or Teddy! Or Mama Burke. And the list goes on and on. I am 100% aware that this is almost entirely Trump-induced "Sure wish things were the way they used to be!" melancholy, but I stand by it.

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That said, I ended up liking Maggie's mother, Diane, just fine, and not just because she's played by the inimitable LaTanya Richardson Jackson. It's always exciting to learn a little more about Maggie, who I still feel like I only know between three to five facts about, in spite of the fact that this is her third season on the show.

Diane tells Maggie she's come for both a visit and for some elective plastic surgery with Jackson. But when she's in an examining room with Jackson, she shows him a rash on her breasts and asks if he can remove it. He can't; it's a rare and aggressive form of cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. He offers to set Diane up with doctors back in Hawaii, to fly in when Diane needs surgery, and to come to dinner with Diane and Maggie, so that he can be there to answer Maggie's questions. I've tried to come up with an articulate way about how that emotional availability makes me feel, and all I can come up with is OMG JACKSON FOREVER.

But Diane never gets a chance to tell Maggie. When Maggie comes home to Meredith's house and finds Diane and Jackson there, she flips out, still angry at the fact that Diane showed up, inserted herself into Maggie's world, met her friends, and made plans on her behalf. That segues into what Maggie's really mad about: her mom divorced her father, moved far away, and "destroyed our family." It feels really abrupt and awkward, but then again, that's sort of how Maggie is: holding feelings inside of her brain and heart for so long that when they spill out, they're super-sized and a little bit spazzy. Diane tells Maggie that her life in Seattle is beautiful, and that Maggie should call her when she's ready to share it with her mom. She leaves, but since Maggie still doesn't know about her cancer (and since Jackson still does), we'll likely see her again soon.

Meanwhile, the battle against Eliza rages on, with most of the attendings still refusing to work with her. Bailey retaliates by suspending Meredith and giving her job to April, and it seems very inconsiderate of April to accept, since that is not the proper way to behave toward someone who let you have a caesarean section on their dining room table. Eliza insists that Arizona is afraid of Eliza being fired or quitting because then there will be NOTHING STOPPING THEIR LOVE and that terrifies her. Also, Catherine gives a speech about being a dragon at one point? It's all still very awkward.

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Throughout the episode, Owen and several other doctors work on a patient who was found wrapped in thick razor wire, having fallen from a wall she and her husband built to protect their house. It's properly harrowing to watch, and I did so almost entirely with my head in the comfort and safety of my sweater. Obligatory aside: pretty dark anytime says anyone even tangentially related to building a wall, huh?

I'm hesitant to type this, and hesitant to even believe this chapter of our lives has come to an end, but I think the question of whether Alex will go to jail is finally, finally settled. PROBABLY. Let's not jinx it. DeLuca bursts into the District Attorney's office and announces that he wants to drop the charges (I'd like to point out that I totally called this development LAST YEAR), but he's pretty deflated when the DA tells him he actually can't. The charges are the state's, not his. He thinks for a moment, then announces that if he's put on the stand, he'll blow the case by saying Alex didn't brutally attack him they were just in a fistfight that went too far. And just like that, Alex walks free. Bailey gives him his job back and everything, and he finally apologizes to DeLuca.

It's a sincere and heartfelt apology (especially given that we're talking about ALEX here), but it sends DeLuca into a bit of a rage. He tells Alex he gave him "every chance to say that" months ago. Alex says that he tried to, and then DeLuca claims he should'vetried more times? It's strange. If the guy you beat half to death asks you to get and stay away from him, the right thing to do is to listen, not pester him until he accepts your apology. And even though DeLuca claims Alex could've tried to make contact through one of his friends, I seem to remember DeLuca getting really standoffish when Arizona and Meredith mentioned Alex to him. Regardless, it seems like they're on non-hostile terms now, and as hard as I roll my eyes at DeLuca sometimes, I was still really touched when he gave Alex his reason for helping him: "Because Jo's been through enough." There's still no word about what this means for Alex and Jo, even though she shows up at Meredith's house for a long, erotically charged hug on the front porch. (I watched the hug three times to confirm and am comfortable with "erotically charged" as my assessment.) Neither one of them says a word, which seems fine, since their communication issues never played a part in this long, strife-riddled affair.

Also, Amelia is still hiding from Owen. Actually hiding. Not avoiding his phone calls, hiding in an apartment and refusing to answer when he knocks on the door. She does sometimes stand near the door while he's knocking, so that'sprogress. I've typed all of that out in a very judgmental manner, but now that I have, maybe Amelia has the right idea.

Follow Lauren on Twitter.

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Maggie Finally Gets the Spotlight on Grey's Anatomy and It's a Giant Bummer - Cosmopolitan.com

Great news, TGIT fans: ABC has given early renewals to Greys Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder.

The pickup news means Greys Anatomy will hit season 14, Scandal will make it to season 7, and How to Get Away With Murder will continue into season 4.

Greys Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder continue to keep viewers on the edge of their seats and wanting more, says ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey of the Shonda Rhimes-produced trio. Im thrilled to bring back these shows and the OMG moments that come with them.

This season, Scandal was delayed until midseason to accommodate Kerry Washingtons pregnancy, meaning TGIT was not part of the fall lineup new series Notorious aired in Scandals timeslot and didnt gain much traction. Dungy previously admitted to EW about being nervous over postponing Scandals return. Scandal is a big hit show for us and nobody likes to go into their first fall season as president of entertainment without one of the biggest guns in their arsenal, she said. But, obviously we were thrilled for Kerry and her family and thats all good news.

No decisions have been made in terms of Scandals episode count or whether it will be on in the fall or launch again in midseason Dungey previously said it was too early to tell whether shed repeat history and have another TGIT-less fall. I havent even had the opportunity yet to read the pilot scripts that are in development, so for me to posit what next falls going to look like is a little too early, she said.

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Scandals absence also affected How to Get Away With Murder, which has been strong creatively, but not in the ratings. I think the lead-in certainly bears some responsibility, Dungey has said. Notorious did not perform as strongly as we would have hoped But if you look at How to Get Away With Murder over the seven-day period, we generally go up in triple-digit percentages, an average of 115 to 117 percent for the show. So that signals that people are still as engaged with it as before. I do think that the lack of TGIT pull-through did affect the number a little bit.

As for Greys Anatomy, Dungey seemed optimistic about the show continuing for many seasons to come, and possibly rivaling ERs tenure. Thatd be lovely, Dungey told EW. Ill take even more! Honestly, I think that the show is going to continue as long as Shonda and the gang have a creative passion for telling those stories. At the moment, it feels like were full steam ahead.

Greys Anatomy, Scandal,and How to Get Away with Murder air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET, respectively, on ABC.

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ABC renews Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder - EW.com

A.C. Reid is making a habit of banking in 3-point shots with the outcome of Libertys most recent games hanging in the balance.

He banked in a 3 from the left wing as time expired to lift the Flames to a dramatic victory over Radford one week ago at the Vines Center. The junior guard needed the backboard again, this time Thursday night against Gardner-Webb at Paul Porter Arena, to force a second overtime and cap the Flames remarkable comeback win against the Runnin Bulldogs.

What has led to Reid having the confidence to make those shots? The 6-foot-5 guard has never lacked the confidence to take shots since he arrived on campus, but he has become better at shooting off the dribble and with bigger players contesting his shot.

Those two aspects have greatly assisted Reid in getting the shots up quickly and accurately, even though hed prefer his shots to swish through the net instead of banking in off the backboard.

I think its actually kind of difficult to go from that far and try to bank a shot in, Reid said. Ive been blessed these past two games to hit both of those shots.

Reids transformation has steadily taken place this season. His first two seasons were highlighted by his ability to make multiple 3-pointers in a row, but also to be easily pushed off the 3-point line and not get a shot off if he didnt get a clean look to catch and shoot.

Former Liberty basketball player Alex McLean joined the coaching staff as a graduate assistant this season and the players have credited his work with them on improving all facets on the offensive end.

He has particularly worked with Reid and fellow junior guard Ryan Kemrite during drills about two hours before each game on dribbling and shooting, catching and shooting and finishing their shots through contact.

Once that is completed, McLean and Reid begin shooting from midcourt in a challenge to see who can make the most attempts.

Alex does a great job with us and even the coaching staff does a great job with us of just getting a lot of game shots, Reid said. Coach [Ritchie] McKay said it in film the other day, If A.C.s going to be taking those deep shots, then yall need to be practicing that with him in his individual work. I think its just getting those constant reps that will give me the confidence just to take those deep shots during the game.

Reid missed his first five 3-point attempts against Radford before connecting on the banked-in attempt. He caught the inbounds pass from Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz, dribbled to his left and shot from about 24 feet over the outstretched arms of Radford 6-foot-8 center Randy Phillips.

Reid made his first two 3-pointers against Gardner-Webb, but missed five straight long-range attempts before he connected from 30 feet with 1.5 seconds remaining in the first overtime.

Reids shot came in a disjointed sequence as the Flames quickly attempted to get an open look. Pacheco-Ortiz handed the ball off to Reid, who took one dribble in and unleashed his shot from the right wing as GWU 6-foot-6 forward DJ Laster reached out his arm to contest.

I think when youre a confident shooter, youre a confident shooter and he is that, McKay said. He walks on the floor thinking hes going to make the shot. The fact that hes hit a couple of banks probably is attributed more to his nature and his fearlessness than his confidence. He thinks hes going to have a chance to make it.

McKay said Reid has earned the trust from the coaching staff through his leadership and overall IQ. That is a stark contrast to last season when McKay said he was really frustrated with him and Im not sure he liked me so much. I wasnt having any fun coaching him.

But that has changed with Reid being one of the first players off the bench and one of the five who is on the floor in the final minutes. McKay said Reid makes the offense better when hes on the court, and that comes from Reid having the green light to shoot it from any point as the shot clock is winding down.

I dont think I ever lack confidence in my shot. I feel like every shot I take is going in, Reid said. I think that just comes from the reps that Ive taken and the reps Ive completed over the last few years. Im going to continue to take shots because my coaching staff has empowered me to do so.

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Left, Khalil Joseph, March 2015; Right, Humberto Leon and Jesse Williams at the Music is My Mistress premiere party on February 9, 2017.

Left, by Owen Kolasinksi/BFA/Rex/Shutterstock; Right, courtesy of Donato Sardella/Getty Images/Kenzo.

Kahlil Joseph, the writer-director who co-helmed Beyoncs epic visual-concept album, Lemonade, has debuted his latest work of arta film for the French luxury brand Kenzo.

The auteur has partnered with Kenzos creative directors, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, to make an original short film, Music Is My Mistress, that features the labels chicest looks from their spring/summer 2017 collection. Greys Anatomy star Jesse Williams stars as a lost music manager searching for an African luminary played by newly minted Golden Globe winner Tracee Ellis Ross (from TVs Black-ish).

The film is about blackness, Joseph told Vanity Fair at a special screening party held at L.A.s Underground Museum on Thursday night. He went on to explain that his objective was to portray African-Americans realistically on-screen in the way they move, talk, and interact with people.

The theme of blackness is also prevalent in Lemonade. Since working with Beyonc on her visual spectacle, the Grammy-nominated director says his life is relatively the same. Hes just thankful that the opportunity to work with his close pal finally came to fruition.

I have known Beyonc through friends for a while, and we had talked about working together on stuff in the past, said Joseph, who has also worked with Kendrick Lamar and film director Terrence Malick. Lemonade was the one that just made sense to work together. It was an important and personal story.

For Williams, who is an outspoken human-rights activist, creating a piece of art like Kenzos short film is more important than ever now that uncertaintyand fearis gripping the nation in the Trump era.

The art community means a tremendous amount in times of bliss and in times of peril. The world is in a very contentious moment right now, and its all the more important now for people to be able to create daring, inclusive, forward-leaning material that is challenging for the status quo, Williams told Vanity Fair. Artists shake shit up and they drive the conversation and establish a new stake in the ground. Its so important to keep on doing this.

But some critics believe celebrities and artists should keep their political opinions to themselves, saying they live in a privileged world and have no real understanding of the issues faced by others. Williams strongly objects to that idea.

Actors should talk and to continue to speak up about politics. Acting is a job. A career. If Im a plumber, can I only fix pipes? If Im a teacher, can I only teach? If thats a rule, its fucking bizarre and ridiculous, he explained. I cant care about being a member of the electorate and what happens in the legislative office? Its asinine. I have been a politically active, social-justice activist my whole life, and I happened to have started acting. I think people should do what they want to do.

Williams, who made headlines in June for a speech he gave at the B.E.T. Awards, vows to fight relentlessly against social injustice and to continue to provide entertainment through his acting career.

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Beyonc's Lemonade Director Enlists Grey's Anatomy's Jesse Williams for His Latest Fashion Spectacle - Vanity Fair

Feb 10, 2017 6:00 AM

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Because The A.V. Club knows that TV shows keep going even if were not writing at length about them, were experimenting with discussion posts. For certain shows, one of our TV writers will publish some brief thoughts about the latest episode, and open the comments for readers to share theirs.

Previous episode Meredith searches for Alex while Greys Anatomy searches for a purpose

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Grey's plays out the Trump worldview against a hospital backdrop - A.V. Club