Wild Card Weekend Roundup

 


We just finished our first Super Wild Card Weekend, and what a weekend it was. Below is a bit of a recap of all six games.

Saturday's Games:
Bills 27, Colts 24
About: This game was closer than expected, as it seemed to take the Bills a while to get going. The Colts, meanwhile, looked solid early but struggled late. There was a turnover on the final drive that was missed by officials, but it turned out not to matter as the Colts sputtered and the Bills hung on for the win. I like Buffalo, and came into the playoffs thinking they have a shot at the Super Bowl. It wasn't an incredible first performance, and doubtless they'll be tested in the Divisional Round against the playoffs. The Colts, meanwhile, are one and done, which could be the story with Phillip Rivers. He wasn't terrible this season, but he doesn't feel like the answer, either. If the Colts had better production at quarterback, I think they could be a serious contender.

Rams 30, Seahawks 20
About: This game wasn't as close as the final score indicates. A lucky long bomb and a garbage time TD to D.K. Metcalf gave the Seahawks life, but mostly their offense looked stagnant. The Rams' offense wasn't incredible, as Jared Goff still looks limited less than two weeks removed from surgery. Cam Akers ran hard, and the Rams' defense is stout. They'll need that as they travel to battle the Green Bay Packers this weekend. Meanwhile, the Seahawks head into the off-season with questions. I like Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but Russell Wilson struggled to end the season and the defense was so-so. I'll be curious to see what they do.

Buccaneers 31, Washington 23
About: Washington was outmanned and out gunned, and yet young quarterback Taylor Heinicke put up a good show. Some have bantered about him being the quarterback moving forward, but I think he more secured himself as a strong backup and someone Washington should hang on to going forward. Otherwise I like the young core Washington is building, and I think they'll be back. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, are poised for this playoff run and Tom Brady looks sharp. Next week's battle with the Saints figures to be a war.

Sunday's Games:
Ravens 20, Titans 13
About: What I thought would be the highest scoring game of the week turned out to be one of the lower scoring affairs. Lamar Jackson shook the monkey off his back as he looked strong in getting his first playoff win. The Ravens finished as one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and that has carried them through to Buffalo for round two in what figures to be the best game of the Divisional Round, a Prime Time clash on Saturday night. For the Titans, the defense that was a liability all season proved to be just that again. And the Ravens were able to hold Derrick Henry in check, while Corey Davis couldn't contribute. Davis is a first round pick that never hit at the level expected, and his future is one of many questions the Titans must answer. They also need to find that defensive spark again.

Saints 21, Bears 9
About: This game was ugly. The Saints won, and moved the ball better in the late third and fourth quarter, but this game was 7-3 for far too long. The Saints need to get a little better if they want to dispatch the Buccaneers for a third time and move on the NFC Championship Game. Still, it was nice to see them get a home win. The Bears, meanwhile, have tons of questions moving forward. Mitch Trubisky had a hot second half, but wasn't great in the playoffs. And the Bears' playcalling indicated that they didn't trust him in the clutch. Allen Robinson and Jimmy Graham could be gone, too, and it seems even a playoff berth might not be enough for Matt Nagy. The Bears are OK, but far from elite. They have more questions than answers, especially after that flat playoff performance.

Browns 45, Steelers 37
About: This was the best and most surprising game of the Wild Card round. The Browns came out hot, using turnovers and fierce, aggressive plays to build a 28-0 lead in the first quarter. The Steelers came back, with Big Ben throwing for more than 500 yards and four touchdowns. It was not enough. Baker Mayfield looked poised, the defense made big plays and Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt carried the day. The Browns now travel to battle the Chiefs, in what should be epic. The Steelers, meanwhile, who started the season 11-0 slumped to 1-4 down the stretch and got blown off the field early in this playoff game. The Steelers face some big questions of their own, as the future for Big Ben, James Conner and Juju Smith-Schuster is far from certain. After the way the team finished, some are even questioning if it's time for a change at coach.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

AFI 100 Years, 100 Movies: No. 23

Image
Back in 1998, the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest films as voted on by members of the cinematic community. The year, I'm looking at the films on that list, re-ranked according to my preference. Check back Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year as we walk through this list of classic films. Henry Hill : [Narrating] As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. Goodfellas (1990) Original List Position : 94 Starring : Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci Director : Martin Scorsese About : Scorsese has been a fixture on this list. We've seen him deliver masterpieces in different decades and genres. That's the case with Goodfellas, which is another of his signature films. It was No. 94 on the original list, moving to No. 92 just 10 years later. I have it significantly higher, and I have it as my highest of his films on this list. It's a very different kind of mafia movie than The Godfather , and yet it feels like the c...
Read more

2026 Broncos' Season, Week 5

Image
Week 5: Denver Broncos 23, Los Angeles Chargers 17 Season Record: 3-2 (2-0 Home) Key Play: In the fourth quarter, with time winding down and the Broncos leading 20-17, Justin Herbert threw and interception to Brandon Jones on fourth down. The play allowed the Broncos to milk the clock and kick a field goal to push the lead to six points. Recap: Sean Payton took over the playcalling because there was "meat left on the bone" with the offense. It didn't look like an improvement on Sunday. The team looked lost for most of the game, then used some Special Teams and defensive intensity to manage a comeback and a win. I'm not sure winning is the best thing for this team. Don't get me wrong, I like to win. But this team played badly. They look bad. And getting a win feels like a reward for bad behavior. That's not the kind of football that helps you get to and win in the playoffs. This team feels lost and the offense feels like a mess. A Thursday matchup with the Sea...
Read more

1991 Rewind: City Slickers

Image
It's hard to believe, but 1991 was 35 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 1991 that are turning 35 in 2026. Today, it's a classic comedy. Mitch Robbins : Value this time in your life kids, because this is the time in your life when you still have your choices, and it goes by so quickly. When you're a teenager you think you can do anything, and you do. Your twenties are a blur. Your thirties, you raise your family, you make a little money and you think to yourself, "What happened to my twenties?" Your forties, you grow a little pot belly you grow another chin. The music starts to get too loud and one of your old girlfriends from high school becomes a grandmother. Your fifties you have a minor surgery. You'll call it a procedure, but it's a surgery. Your sixties you have a major surgery, the music is still loud but it doesn't matter because you can't hear it anyway. Seventies, you and the wife r...
Read more