NFL Wild Card Roundup
The NFL Wild Card round is officially over. Well actually it’s been over for a week, but still. With the Divisional round set to begin this Saturday, let’s have a look at the winners, the losers, surprises and stories from this past round of playoff matchups in the NFL.
Let’s begin with the AFC.
It was a truly tragic ending to a magical season for the Oakland Raiders as they lost to the Texans, 27-14. Two weeks ago, MVP candidate QB Derek Carr broke his leg. A week later, backup QB Matt McGloin injured his shoulder, effectively sidelining him for the remainder of week 17 and the Wild Card round. To make matters worse, star left tackle Donald Penn missed his first game in 160 straight starts, and then star wideout Michael Crabtree suffered a concussion which forced him to sit out the remainder of the game. All of this combined to create a perfect shit storm for Oakland. Third string rookie QB Connor Cook made his first NFL start against Houston, on one of the world’s biggest stages no less. He finished with 161 yards passing, one touchdown and three interceptions. Which didn’t make things any easier for Latavius Murray in the ground game. The normally upstart, efficient back rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Meanwhile, for Houston, Brock Osweiler returned to the role of starting QB and didn’t disappoint. He finished with 168 yards and a TD, helping Houston stretch their lead through the fourth quarter. Defensively, the Texans looked solid as well. They head to New England this Saturday where they’ll face miserable weather conditions and a well rested Patriots squad. If they happen to pull it out, it would be nothing short of a big Texas miracle.
Then up in Steel Town, the Pittsburgh Steelers absolutely romped the Miami Dolphins, 30-12. It wasn’t even close. Sad day for a Dolphins team that fared awfully well in the regular season. As for Pittsburgh, it was a beautiful day. The Big Three–Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le’Veon Bell–played in their first playoff game together. And through their combined efforts they crushed a sputtering Miami squad. Brown caught five passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Bell ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile Big Ben completed 13 of 19 passes for 197 yards and two TDs to Brown, snagging his 12th career postseason victory in the process. Aside from the bitter cold, what really stymied the Dolphins was the Steelers defense. Pittsburgh forced turnovers on three consecutive possessions in the middle of the game, and sacked QB Matt Moore five times. There was no rhythm or momentum to be had for the ‘Phins. And in the end, the Steel Curtain came down hard on their little porpoise bodies. On Sunday Big Ben and company head to an equally freezing Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to face the Chiefs. They’ve got the momentum on their side right now. But while the Chiefs got annihilated in week 4 against Pittsburgh, they’re looking like a different team this time around. Needless to say, it’s going to be a close one.
Meanwhile in the NFC…
Results were equally bleak for the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants. In Seattle, the Lions were held without a touchdown through four quarters while Seahawks QB Russell Wilson tossed two touchdowns on 224 yards and zero interceptions. And RB Thomas Rawls rushed for 161 yards on 27 attempts (6.0 YPC) and a TD. The Lions, on the other hand, were never able to get going. Their ground game sputtered and failed to impress. Matthew Stafford bore the brunt of the offensive load and despite throwing for 205 yards and zero interceptions, he couldn’t muster an end zone visit. By game’s end, the Seahawks had effectively secured their place in the Divisional round with a swift 26-6 win. Now this Saturday, they’ll engage in a Bitter Battle of the Birds with the Atlanta Falcons. And it might just be a favorable matchup for them (anything’s better than playing the Cowboys).
Speaking of the Cowboys, they’ll have to face an in-rhythm Green Bay Packers squad who are fresh off a good old fashioned New York stomping. 38-13 was the final score. A sad outing for Eli, OBJ, and the rest of the little Giants. After the Pack’s initial struggles to get up and running, Rodgers connected on a Hail Mary pass to Randall Cobb in the final seconds of the first half. It was a 42 yard prayer that effectively put the boot on the Giants’ team bus. They just weren’t the same team in the second half. Meanwhile, Mr. Rodgers completed four touchdown passes on 362 yards. His opposing counterpart, Eli Manning, tossed for 299 yards, a TD, and a pick, while completing 23 of 44 passing attempts and finishing with a paltry QB rating of 72.1. While showtime wideout Odell Beckham Jr. caught four passes, he couldn’t muster more than 28 yards. He was held without a touchdown. And in the end, his presence was largely unfelt, despite usually being center stage. So that’s it for the Giants. Meanwhile the Packers travel to Dallas looking red hot and fully capable of giving the NFL’s top team a run for their money. But the big question mark falls not on Aaron Rodgers, but on Green Bay’s defense. Can they step it up and put enough pressure on Dak Prescott or will their storybook season be put back on the shelf? We’ll find out Sunday afternoon.
So that’s that. Not a single close game in the Wild Card round. And now, in a matter of days, the real fun begins.
