The super Wild-Card weekend mainly was a stark reminder to Major League Baseball and College Football about why you shouldn’t expand the playoffs.
Massacres overshadowed an abundance of what we saw over the last 48 hours, except for two games, both close, albeit nontheatrical endings when the dust cleared.
Nevertheless, it sets us up for the most exciting football weekend of the year in the divisional round with matchups that have fans licking their chops. However, before we talk about getting there, we must be diligent in acknowledging the playoffs beatdowns these super bowl contenders submitted in round 1 and how two other teams are hoping to destroy everyone’s brackets and playoff boxes.
SATURDAY:
Raiders 19 Bengals 26:
Someone’s drought had to end, and it was Cincinnati’s who snapped their 31-year long drought by eking out a win over a pesky Vegas squad on a chilly day in Cincy.
Joe Burrow was fantastic going
24-34 244 YDS, two Touchdowns(One to Boyd), and no turnovers. He also did a great job chewing up the clock and finding LSU compadre in Jammare Chase when need be.
Field goals, of course, are a big reason why the Bengals staked out to a 10 point lead for most of the contest, accounting for 12 of their points. Joe Mixon came up big and went for 48 yards on 17 carries, punishing Vegas on the ground in the cold air.
Raiders QB Derek Carr went 29-54 for 310 yards and held his own in this contest. The Raiders had to punt twice but fumbled, which led to a Cincy FG in the first half.
Overall, it was an even game, as you would expect, so it was no surprise when the Raiders saw a chance to even the contest fall in their lap despite possessing no timeouts.
Initially, it seemed as if Carr would finish with a whimper but found Darren Waller on 3rd and 17 for a 23 yard gain down to the Bengals 19. On 3rd and 10, he hit Zae Jones inside the 10-yard line with 30 seconds remaining, and Vegas could taste overtime. But the jungle had other plans, as Derek saw his Car motor finally freeze for the winter, as his fourth-down try was intercepted by Germaine Pratt, who placed himself in Cincinnati sports lore to send the upstart Bengals to the divisional round.
PATS 17 BILLS 47
This was the perfect playoff scene. Bill Bellichek led his Brady-less Patriots into the arctic temperatures of Orchard Park at Highmark Stadium, for the “High” point of the AFC East region, where the brazen Bills awaited them. Both teams had caused frostbite in their two regular-season meetings, which ultimately prepared them for the rubber match on Saturday night.
But what was expected to be a battle of “Bills and thrills” was instead a bludgeon of historic proportions, as Josh Allen double-dyed a top-five defense from the league’s preliminary tournament to the tune of seven drives for seven touchdowns, with five coming out of his right hand, while the other two were on the ground puffing smoke from their mouths braving the five-degree weather along with thousands of Bills Mafia in attendance, and some even shirtless.
Buffalo rapidly flexed its muscles with a quick 21-0 lead part of a 408-yard offensive clinic, while the rookie Mac Jones looked like a deer in headlights throwing two picks and not picking up his two touchdown passes until the contest was long decided. Buffalo’s defense tantalized and mesmerized New England all first half long, only allowing a late Nick Folk FG, giving the visitors life at 27-3.
But hopes of a comeback were quickly frozen into the insensate of the western New York night, when Josh Allen throttled up Emmanuel Sanders for a quick 34-yard score out of the intermission before dicing up the Patriots defense twice more, putting the finishing touches on convincing, punishing. Demoralizing performance has Bills fans dreaming of more than just an AFC championship appearance this season. They believe they’re going all the way.
SUNDAY:
EAGLES 15 2. BUCS 31
Kudos to Phil Musnick of the NY Post for questioning the NFL’s 1:00 start time for this climate change contest, but In hindsight, that was the most innovative call they’ve made all season. They save face by not having this demolition on Sunday Night football. This was a dry-soaked, humid day in Tampa where the pedestrians began getting wet in the late stages of a Buccaneers' “Bucking” of the hapless Eagles. Philly even Even being here was a direct result of the incompetence of the National football conference's inability to produce seven ten-win teams, and Brady feasted on a JV defense because, of course, he did. This man remembered the “Philly Special” in the 2018 Super Bowl and was out for blood. If Tom’s hype video didn’t convince you before the contest, then Brady silenced even the most silent haters out of Philly by marching down the field on the game's first drive for 75 yards in less than five minutes for an early 7-0 lead. On the other side of the ball, this was a defense out to “Hurt” Jalen Hurts, making his playoff debut. He looked overwhelmed, overmatched, and in turn, was vanquished from the party of the elites, for it's not his time just yet. It seemed like we would be allowed to spoil ourselves by the Eagles ridding themselves of the goose egg on the scoreboard by the break, but Mike Edwards picked off Jalen’s pass in the end zone bringing the Philadelphia faithful to its knees.
Just when it couldn’t get any more determinant, Jalen Regaor muffed a punt before Tom found Rob Gronkowski alone in the end zone for a 24-0 advantage early in the third quarter. On the ensuing drive, Shaq Barret grabbed another Hurts turnover and allowed Brady to work his magic and find a streaking Mike “Flipping into the end zone” Evan’s down the left side for a wild card-wrapping score.
Brady finished 29-37 for 271 yards, two scores out of his arm, and most importantly, no turnovers though he was sacked a couple of times. Overall, this was a Tampa Bay demolition that will remind the rest of the league just how invincible the GOAT gets when it’s time to defend his throne.
49ERS 23 COWBOYS 17
Frankly, they had it coming up there in “Jerry’s world” because even yours, indeed as a rival Giants fan who you flicked away twice this past year, could see that you would come crashing down on the big stage. San Francisco used a steady diet of clock management and the ground game to wear down the Cowboys' defense for an early lead they wouldn’t relinquish en route to a 23-17 victory.
Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy seemed unwilling to make adjustments until their worst nightmare came to fruition when Dak was picked before a Debo Samuel touchdown upped the San Francisco lead to 23-7 entering the final frame. The Cowboys made it enjoyable though pouncing on two opposing gaffes for two scores and a six-point contest, while also having the chance to complete the comeback when Prescott(Ironically NFL’s comeback player of the year) had the ball in his hands under the 2:00 warning. But on 4th and 11 at midfield, he watched helplessly as CJ Wilson couldn’t hang onto the deep ball, and San Francisco took over from there.
It seemed as if victory formation would greet the Bay Area after Debo ran around for 10 yards and a game-clinching first down, but a review ruled him a half-yard short before a false start brought up 4th and 5 to hand the ball back to the “Dak attack” with 30 seconds left and no timeouts.
It was at this stage where the unsifted relationship between Dallas coach Mike McCarthy and play-calling reared its ugly head once again, as Dak ran for a QB sneak on second and one with the waning seconds ticking off the clock.
The issue? Well, for you to spike it, the referee has to place the ball in time, and with Dak’s run, it was tough for him to catch up as time moved towards triple zeros. Instead, Prescott handed the ball to his center, but they were unable to snap &spike in time while at the 49ers 24 for a potential hail-Mary, thus ending the game and their season early yet again.
STEELERS 21 CHIEFS 42
I’m not going to bore you with the details of another blowout because this was predicted the millisecond after Dan Carlson sent the Raiders and Steelers for the playoffs with his game-clinching kick last week. Patrick Mahomes threw for five scores and 404 yards, leading the way for a Kansas City offense that reeled off 35 unanswered points for a wild-card romp of Big Ben and the Steelers. The two-time reigning AFC champions did whatever they wanted, including the Travis Kelce special when he lobbed it up to Byron Pringle, who came down with his second TD of the game in succession during the garbage-time fourth stanza.
The loss signals the end of a Hall of fame 18-year stint for Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time super bowl champion and eight-time pro-bowler, and sported a 205-101-2 career record.
CARDINALS 11 RAMS 34
In front of a raucous Sofi stadium crowd, the Rams subjugated Kyler Murray and the Cardinals early and often en route to a fitting detonation to polish off the first playoff round of NFL football this season.
Odel Beckham JR found the end zone for just his sixth touchdown with the Rams, after having none in Cleveland this year, while also becoming the first player in postseason history to haul in a 30-yard reception, while also completing a 40-yard pass which led to another Rams score.
Before this game, Mathew Stafford’s legacy was in question as he made his playoff debut, and the Rams QB didn’t let his opportunity go to waste, as he used his previous 185 starts and 13 years of regular season play to calm his nerves and went 13-17 for 202 yards, and two touchdowns.
Triple crown winner Copper Kupp also feasted on the overmatched Arizona defense by leading Los Angeles In receiving, going for 61 yards on five receptions and a touchdown.
But it was the robust Rams defense led by superstar Aaron Donald who set the tone all evening long, with Cam Akers also chipping into force QB Kyler Murray under duress in the first half, as he threw a pick-six to David Long out of the endzone, who didn’t need to travel “Long,” going three yards for the score and a 21-0 halftime advantage. The last 30 minutes was more of the same as the relentless and revamped Rams marched towards Tampa Bay with resounding confidence.
DIVISIONAL ROUND:
AFC:
Bengals at Titans
I expect one-seeded Tennessee to “Titan” up the defense and send these Bengals upstarts home as flashy and savvy as they’ve been all season long. The Bengals have met their match.
Bills @Chiefs
Buffalo gets their revenge and for a good reason. Josh Allen rose the occasion in their week five meeting and will do so again. There’s a reason why the Chiefs looked overmatched in that game, and my personal feeling is that the Bills were highly determined to make a statement and will do that once again here. We all remember Stephon Diggs staying on the field to watch the AFC championship ceremony after his team fell to Kansas City, which will reach 364 days when these teams meet next Sunday again. This year, they will take that to heart. FYI, if this week was any indication, prepare for a shoutout.
NFC:
49ers @ Packers
San Francisco will soon become San Frantic. While the 49ers earned their hard-fought victory over the Cowboys at AT&T stadium in Big D, I can’t see them go down to the “Frozen Tundra” AKA Lambeau Field and “master” the master of cold in two times reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers and the 14-3 powerhouse Packers. It gets real now, and I don’t think the visitors will be able to handle the frigid outdoors.
Rams @Bucs:
These two squads look entirely different than the week four game where Los Angeles took down Tampa Bay 34-20. This will be a battle of execution and one that’s expected to be a classic between two NFL powerhouses. However, it would be a disservice for me to go against the GOAT, Tom Brady, who will do his thing in crunch time and push his defending champions back to the semifinals.
With all that being said, expect Sean Mcvay and Mathew Stafford to summon all they possess in their arsenal to dethrone the Bucs once more.
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