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The NFL Playoffs are here. Fourteen teams have made it through a regular season that, for some, went down to the final game to seal their chance of playing in the Super Bowl. The number one seeds (Kansas City and Detroit) have a first-round bye. Every other team does not and has to go through the Wildcard round to join them. So, what did the Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, and Baltimore Ravens (among others) fare?
AFC
Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans
The weekend’s first game was between the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Texans had, unsurprisingly, won the AFC South to get here. As for the Chargers, a consistent regular season meant that they (and another AFC West team that will be mentioned later) made the wildcard. Could Jim Harbaugh’s first year with the Chargers continue, or will Houston be one step closer to another divisional-round game?
The Chargers had the game’s first possession and would score the first points from it. Starting from their 27-yard line, the Chargers offense, led by quarterback Justin Herbert, could move down to the Texans’ 16-yard line. Here, the drive stalled, which set up Cameron Dicker with a 35-yard field goal.
Los Angeles’s good luck continued on the Texans’ first drive. Quarterback CJ Stroud found John Metchie for a seven-yard pass. However, Metchie fumbled the ball, which the Chargers defense recovered. They took advantage of this mistake, with the following drive ending in another field goal from Dicker, this time from 39 yards out.
A few drives later, the Texans would make another mistake, as Strouds’s pass was interception. However, Houston would not be without the ball for long, as Herbert’s pass was intercepted on the game’s next play.
The Texans got their first points of the game near the end of the first half. This drive started on their one-yard line, with Stroud and company moving down to the Chargers’ 13-yard line. From here, Stroud found Nico Collins for the touchdown pass. This lead would be extended on their final drive of the half when kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn made a field goal from 41 yards out.
This meant that the Texans had a 10-6 lead over the Chargers at halftime.
The Texans had the first drive of the second half, but they again made a mistake on it. The offense made its way down to the Chargers’ 24-yard line when the error happened. Joe Mixon fumbled the ball, which would then be recovered by the Chargers’ defense. Luckily for Houston, Los Angeles could not do anything with the possession.
Their next drive was more successful. Houston made their way down to the Chargers’ 19-yard line, partly thanks to an interception that was reversed due to a penalty against the Chargers’ defense. This is where the drive stalled, with Fairbairn kicking the field goal from 37 yards out.
Near the end of the third quarter, the Chargers made a costly mistake that only increased the Texans’ already growing lead. On their 28-yard line, Herbert’s pass to Ladd McConkey was intercepted by the Houston defense. Then, Eric Murray would return the ball to the endzone for a pick-six touchdown.
The following drive, things got even worse for Los Angeles as Herbert threw another interception. The Texans would again capitalize on this mistake. The silver lining for the Chargers is that this did not end up in a touchdown but another field goal.
It would be third time lucky for the Chargers, as their next drive would end up in a touchdown. Herbert found McConkey for an 86-yard touchdown pass. However, the PAT from Dicker was blocked, and the live ball went into the hands of a Houston defense, who returned the ball to their endzone on the other side of the field for a defensive PAT Conversion, which is worth two points.
What Los Angeles gained on that drive was immediately lost on the next. The Texans slowly moved down the field and reached the Chargers’ 17-yard line. Here, Mixon found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to all but secure victory. To end the game, Herbert threw another interception, finishing what had been a poor game.
The Houston Texans had defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12.
This win was very much expected. The Texans are the stronger side, exploiting Herbert’s numerous errors to get the win. The Chargers struggled in this game, but I believe Jim Harbaugh’s side will soon return in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers played an all-AFC North game this weekend. The regular series between these teams was split 1-1, but with the Steelers on a losing streak, the Ravens were seen as the clear favorite for the win.
The Steelers had the game’s first possession, but their opening drive would not get anywhere. The same could not be said for the Ravens. Starting from their five-yard line, the Lamar Jackson-led offense went down to the Steelers’ 15-yard line. Here, Jackson found Rashod Bateman for the touchdown pass to cap off a 14-play drive that lasted for over seven minutes.
The Ravens would be able to extend their lead a few drives later. During another long drive, Baltimore went down to the Steelers’ eight-yard line. Derrick Henry found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to double the lead.
This lead would get even larger just before halftime when Jackson found Justice Hill for a five-yard touchdown pass.
This meant that the Ravens had a 21-0 lead over the Steelers at halftime.
Pittsburgh could get their first points of the game on their first drive of the second half. Starting from their two-yard line, the Steelers offense, led by quarterback Russell Wilson, made their way down to the Ravens’ 30-yard line. Here, Wilson found Van Jefferson for the touchdown pass.
Any hope that the Steelers could launch a comeback was put on hold as the Ravens widened their lead on their next drive. Henry found the endzone to record a 44-yard rushing touchdown.
But the Steelers were able to get something on their next drive. Wilson found George Pickins for a 36-yard touchdown pass. This reduced the gap to 14 points going into the final quarter.
However, nothing would happen in that quarter. All the drives would end in punts, with the Ravens working down the clock to record a 28-14 win over the Steelers.
At the end of the season, it seems like the Steelers just gave up. They got their winning season (keeping coach Mike Tomlin’s streak going) and then made the playoffs. Once this happened, the need to win vanished, and it did not return when it was needed the most. Baltimore advanced to the Divisional round, but could the Buffalo Bills join them?
Denver Broncos @ Buffalo Bills
At the beginning of the season, not many people expected the Denver Broncos to make the playoffs. But, under rookie quarterback Bo Nix, the team made it to their first postseason since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2015. Could this be the start of a run to the big game? In the wildcard round, they faced the Buffalo Bills, one of the favorites to win it all.
The Broncos had the game’s first possession and could get the first points from it. Starting from their 30-yard line, the offense went down to the Bills’ 43-yard line. Nix found Troy Franklin for the 43-yard touchdown pass to take a surprise lead. In response to this, the Bills were able to get into field goal territory on their opening drive. Then, Trevor Bass made the 26-yard field goal kick from the Broncos’ eight-yard line.
This kick did keep the Broncos in the lead, but it did not last long. On the Bills’ next drive, the offense, led by Josh Allen, went down to the Broncos’ five-yard line. From here, James Cook found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to give Buffalo the lead.
Denver would try to level the scores just before halftime. Their drive stalled at the Bills’ 32-yard line, setting up Will Lutz with a 50-yard field goal attempt. His kick hit the uprights and did not make it through the posts.
This meant after a first half where the usually potent Bills offense was at times shut down, Buffalo had a 10-7 lead over the Broncos.
The Bills had the first drive of the second half and could slightly extend their lead from it. Allen and company moved the offense down to the Broncos’ nine-yard line. This is where the drive stalled, but Bass was able to kick a 27-yard field goal.
The lead grew again on the following Buffalo drive. This time, Allen found Ty Johnson for a 24-yard touchdown pass. The Bills then attempted a two-point conversion, which was successful, making it a 14-point game. 14 soon became 21, as Allen found Curtis Samuel for a 55-yard touchdown pass to begin the fourth quarter.
While the Bills scored on every drive, the Broncos struggled to hold onto possession. Most of their drives were over as soon as they began, as Bo Nix could not get anything going on offense.
To further the Broncos’ woes, a late 34-yard field goal from Bass only cemented the Bills’ dominant victory.
Ultimately, the Buffalo Bills would defeat the Denver Broncos 31-7.
If the first half were anything to go by, this would have been an entertaining contest. However, the moment the second half started, we saw the return of the usually dominant Bills offense. The Broncos were outplayed in this game, but this may have been expected considering the Bills’ rosters’ experience in these kinds of games. Still, like the Chargers, I think we will see Bo Nix in the playoffs again.
NFC
Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the strongest teams in the NFC, and it will be no surprise if they make the conference championship game. In the wildcard round, they faced the Green Bay Packers in a rematch of their season opener played in Brazil. This year, the Packers have been the proverbial third wheel in the NFC North championship fight between the Lions and the Vikings. They were around but mostly watching from afar.
The Packers had the game’s first possession, but a mistake as soon as the match began meant that their offense never stepped onto the field. Keisean Nixon fumbled on the return, and the ball was scooped up by the Eagles’ defense. This meant that Philadelphia’s first drive of the game began on the Packers’ 28-yard line.
Saquon Barkley could move the offense down to the 11-yard line. From here, Jalen Hurts found Jahan Dobson for the touchdown pass to take the lead. For those who want to know, the first actual drive that the Packers had ended in a punt.
A couple of drives later, the Eagles were able to extend the lead. Their drive would stall at the Packers’ 13-yard line, which set up a 31-yard field goal attempt for Jake Elliot, which he was successful with.
The good luck continued for the Eagles on their drive, as the Packers would make a mistake. Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love threw a deep pass intercepted by the Philadelphia defense. The silver lining for the Packers in this situation was that the Eagles could not convert this into any points.
The following Packers drive was somewhat better. Love moved the offense down to the Eagles’ 20-yard line, where the drive would stall. This set up a 38-yard field goal attempt from kicker Brandon McManus. However, the kick missed
On their next drive, the Packers’ situation worsened when Love threw another interception, but the Eagles could not capitalize on this.
This meant that the Eagles had a 10-0 lead over the Packers at halftime.
Green Bay scored its first points on its first drive of the second half. The offense fell to the Eagles’ nine-yard line before its drive stalled. This set up McManus with a 26-yard field goal attempt, which he made.
However, the Eagles would respond by putting more points in their column. Hurts would move the offense down to the Packers 24-yard line. Here, he found Dallas Goedart for the touchdown pass. However, the PAT from Jake Elliot was unsuccessful.
Green Bay would match what Philadelphia did on their next drive. From the 32-yard line, Josh Jacobs found the endzone for the rushing touchdown. However, upon further inspection, Jacobs was ruled down at the one-yard line. This removed the touchdown from the board for a few minutes, and this was only because the play was at the end of the third quarter. When the fourth quarter started, Jacobs found the endzone for the rushing touchdown.
This made it a one-possession game, and the Eagles needed to get points from their next drive to give the team some breathing space. This is something that they were able to do, with Elliot finding the uprights from 30 yards out.
On the Eagles’ next drive, Elliot scored another field goal, this time from 32 yards out. With under three minutes to play, the game was tied at 12. If the Packers were to have any hope of staying in the game, they had to find the endzone on their next drive.
This was something that they were unable to do, with Love throwing another interception.
This meant the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 22-10.
In reality, the Packers were never really in the race for the NFC North and couldn’t keep up with an Eagles team that has been one of the best this year. I think they underperformed in this game and can do much better. We’ll see how they fare in the divisional round next week.
Finally, putting my New York Giants hat on for a moment, the Packers had one job, and they failed at it: anyone but Phily (or the Chiefs) to win the Super Bowl.
Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Washington Commanders have been on a turnaround this year, all thanks to the arrival of Jayden Daniels. He has made a massive difference to this team and shows that you do not have to be the number one pick of the draft to be the best player. He led Washington to an 11-5 regular season record and made the playoffs. They faced NFC South champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the wildcard round in what would be a close affair.
The Buccaneers had the opening possession of the game and got their first points. Starting from their 30-yard line, the Buccs offense, led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, reached the Commanders’ 32-yard line. This is where their drive would stall, setting up a 50-yard field goal attempt from kicker Chase McLaughlin. He was successful with this, giving Tampa Bay the early lead. In response to this, the Commanders were able to reach the Buccs’ red zone. But, a failed fourth-down conversation stopped them from progressing any further.
But the Commanders had better luck on their next drive. Starting from their eight-yard line, Daniels lead the Washington offense very slowly down to the Buccaneers’ ten-yard line. Daniels found Dyami Brown for the touchdown pass to hand the Commanders the lead. This lead was extended on their next drive. The offense stalled on the Buccs’ 33-yard line, with kick Zane Gonzalez finding the uprights from 52 yards out.
However, this lead was soon cut. On the following drive, Mayfield and company could make their way down to the Commanders’ one-yard line. The quarterback found Mike Evans for the touchdown pass just before the half was over.
This meant that the Commanders and Buccaneers were tied 10-10 at halftime.
The Commanders had the first drive of the second half and broke the tie. On the drive, the Daniels-led offense reached the Buccaneers’ four-yard line, where the drive would stall. Here, Gonzalez kicked a 22-yard field goal to take the lead.
But this lead did not last long; On a drive that started on their 28-yard line, the Tampa Bay offense made its way into the Washington red zone and down to the four-yard line. Here, Mayfield found Bucky Irving for the touchdown pass. The Commanders would attempt to retake the lead on their next drive and would be in a strong position, down at the three-yard line. Here, an important fourth-down attempt took place. Daniels’ pass to Zach Ertz was incomplete, and possession was handed over to Tampa Bay.
This possession did not last long, as the Buccaneers would make a mistake. On their 15-yard line, Mayfield would fumble the ball, which would then be scooped up by the Commanders’ defense. A few plays later, Daniels found Terry McLaurin for a five-yard touchdown pass to give the Commanders a three-point lead with 10 minutes left to play.
The Buccaneers had to find points on their next drive if they were to have any chance of staying in what was a close game. They would be able to do this. The Mayfield-led offense made its way down to the Commanders’ 14-yard line. This is where the drive stalled, but McLaughlin kicked a 32-yard field goal to tie the scores with four minutes left to play.
This gave the Commanders an advantage; all they had to do was score a walk-off field goal to win the game. On the game’s final drive, the Commanders’ offense moved down the field from their 30-yard line to the Buccs’ 19. Here, Gonzalez stepped up for a game-winning field goal from 37 yards out. The kick hit the right upright but went through the posts to seal the win.
The Washington Commanders had defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20.
This was the best game of the wildcard weekend, and it was undoubtedly the closest. However, I think that Wahington will struggle in the divisional round, as while they are a good team, there are better, stronger teams left in the playoffs.
Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Rams
Until the second half of their final game of the regular season, the Minnesota Vikings had a very good season. No one expected the Sam Darnold-led team to get anywhere, but they nearly won the NFC North and came into the game with a 14-2 record. Despite clearly being the second-best team in the NFC by record, they are the fifth seed and played on the road. They were initially going to face the Los Angeles Rams in Los Angeles, but due to the wildfires in the area, the game was relocated to Arizona. Would this make any difference?
The Rams had the game’s opening drive and would be able to get the first points from it. Starting from their 30-yard line, the Rams offense, led by Matthew Stafford, made their way down to the Vikings’ five-yard line. Here, Stafford found Kyren Williams for the touchdown pass. They were able to add to their lead on their next drive. This would eventually stall at the Vikings’ 16-yard line, setting up Joshua Karty with a 34-yard field goal attempt. This was something he was successful with.
On the following drive, Minnesota finally got on the board. Starting from their 30-yard line, Darnold and company made it to the Rams’ 16-yard line, where the drive stalled. This set up Will Reichard with a 34-yard field goal attempt, which he made.
However, things would soon turn ugly for the Vikings. On their next drive, Darnold’s pass was intercepted by the Rams defense. Luckily for Minnesota, Los Angeles could not do anything about the ball on the following drive and would hand possession back quickly. But, another mistake would happen on the next drive as well.
On the Rams’ 41-yard line, Darnold found Josh Oliver for a six-yard pass. Olver then fumbled the ball, which the Rams recovered. However, Oliver was not down by contract upon further inspection, thus removing the fumble. However, this only provided a short respite, as Darnold fumbled the ball two plays later. The Rams recovered it, returning it to the endzone for the touchdown.
Los Angeles widened their lead just before halftime when Stafford found D Allen for a 13-yard touchdown pass.
This meant that at the half, the Rams had a 24-3 lead over the Vikings.
The Rams made their already large lead even bigger on their first drive of the second half. Their drive would stall on the Vikings’ 26-yard line, but Karty was able to make a 44-yard field goal.
Then, the Vikings had some luck. On the Rams’ 26-yard line, Darnold found T.J. Hockenson for the touchdown pass. They then attempted a two-point conversion, but this failed. However, they did find the endzone. Could this be the moment when things changed?
No. For the rest of the game, neither team came close to scoring again.
This meant that after a fairly underwhelming second half, the Los Angeles Rams had defeated the Minnesota Vikings 27-9.
All year, the Vikings were being spoken about as Super Bowl contenders. But, in reality, they could never live up to the hype. Darnold was only on a one-year contract (he was meant to be the backup, but the injury to JJ McCarthy made him the starter), and these performances won’t help him keep his job. However, full credit needs to be given to the Rams. They were able to win in challenging circumstances surrounding everything the city has been through last week and continue their playoff run.
The Playoff Picture
The Divisional round is next week, where the number one seeds come into play.
In the AFC:
-Houston Texans will face the Kansas City Chiefs
-The Baltimore Ravens will play the Buffalo Bills
In the NFC
-Washington Commanders will play the Detroit Lions
-The Los Angeles Rams will face the Philadelphia Eagles
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