Unbelievable weekend in the NFL already, and that is just after two games played!
Both games wound up being decided late in the fourth quarter, and the combined margin of victory between the two victors yesterday was three points! Those were some close games.
But one of them shouldn't have been, of course.
Let's take a look:
Indianapolis Colts - 45, Kansas City Chiefs - 44
Now, I made the prediction that the Colts would win, but I thought they would win it convincingly.
So, imagine my surprise when I turned the game on (at work - I might have been watching from the beginning at home), and saw that KC was up, 24-7.
Shocking! The Colts were driving, and they were able to get a field goal, to cut into Kansas City's lead. But the Chiefs seemed to just own all the momentum. They were able to score yet another touchdown on their next drive, and held that 31-10 lead into the half.
At that point, the game reminded me a lot of another playoff game that I had watched years ago, when much younger. It was the Vikings at the Saints, back in 1987. The Saints had one of the better, more intimidating defenses that I had seen that season, and finished the regular season by winning nine straight games. But the completely bombed against the Vikings
Very early in the third quarter, they expended the lead with another touchdown, and seemed to be coasting with a 38-10 lead, in a game that was looking like a laugher.
But the Colts were able to get two quick touchdowns to get back in the game. Suddenly, it got very exciting.
Kansas City was able to score a field goal, but the Colts just kept on coming.
By the fourth quarter, the game was tight. Andrew luck was on fire, and everything seemed to be going right for Indianapolis, as evidenced by the one touchdown play in the fourth quarter, in which Luck recovered a fumbled ball by Donald Brown and jumped and dodged his was to the end zone, to bring the Colts within three.
The Chiefs again got a field goal, but the Colts were finally able to take the lead outright when Luck threw a long pass down the middle that was caught by TY Hilton, who had two defenders beaten, and was able to run to the end zone, giving Indianapolis an improbably 45-44 lead after the PAT.
Kansas City again tried to answer, but were faced with a 4th and long situation for the two minute warning. He threw to Dwayne Bowem, who caught the ball, but was out of bounds, giving the Colts the ball again.
The Colts secured the win, and then began a celebration like no other. The Chiefs, meanwhile, walked off the field dejected, with one of the most humiliating and painful losses that any team has ever faced.
For Luck, he is able to claim his first postseason victory in only his second season of play, which was quicker than Peyton. The Colts get their first playoff win since the 2009 season, and their first with Luck as their QB. They also live to fight another day - next weekend, specifically.
As for the Chiefs, well....
Kansas City had lost their previous seven playoff games going into this one, a streak of futility that was tied with that of the Detroit Lions for longest playoff futility. But this loss broke that tie, and now own the longest playoff losing streak in NFL history.
The last time the Chiefs won a playoff game, they had Joe Montana at quarterback. They beat the Houston Oilers back then, and then lost to the Bills in the AFC Championship game, in which Montana was knocked out with a concussion. Kansas City has not yet recovered, apparently.
This loss to the Colts in particular has to be the worst one, though. They had this game in the bag. it looked like it was over early in the third, when they were comfortably up, 38-10.
Instead, they allowed the second biggest comeback in NFL history, and what is tied for the second biggest comeback win in NFL history, period. Only the Buffalo Bills coming back from 32 down against the Houston Oilers back in January of 1993 was bigger. Interesting to note that the Oilers never seemed to fully recover from that terrible loss.
As a Jets fan, sometimes you think your team is really bad. But the Chiefs have a record of futility right now even more astonishing than the Jets, and this really was a new low for them. They don't want to think about this one. But it will be tough not to, as they now have to face a very long offseason before they can try to do things that might help erase this bitter memory.
New Orleans Saints - 26, Philadelphia Eagles - 24
This one was pretty much tight throughout. A very good game!
In a back and forth game, the Saints won this one in a way that was more or less unconventional for them: with solid defense, and a powerful running game.
It was like they hardly needed Brees at all - at least not for this particular game.
In fact, both the Saints and the Eagles relied on solid defensive play to win it. Normally, both teams have explosive and unpredictable, fast-paced offenses.
But not today!
The game went back and forth, with New Orleans getting a field goal early, only to see Philadelphia answer with a touchdown. The Saints were able to get another field goal to bring it to 7-6, but that was how the first half ended.
In the second half, New Orleans seemed to start to take over early, with Brees hitting Lance Moore in the end zone for what turned out to be the one and only touchdown pass he would throw in this game, giving the Saints a 13-7 lead. When Mark Ingram pounded it in later in the third quarter, the Saints seemed to have the game in hand.
But Philly came storming back. First with a touchdown drive that was capped with McKoy pounding it in from 4 yards away. Then, they got a field goal early in the 4th quarter, to pull within a field goal.
The Saints got yet another field goal from the leg of Shayne Graham, who was very solid for the Saints.
New Orleans led, 23-17.
Philadelphia showed a lot of resilience, as they drove the ball down the field late in the final quarter and, with just under five minutes left to play, Nick Foles found Zach Ertz in the end zone, and the Eagles were up by a single point with the PAT.
But New Orleans responded themselves with their next drive.
With time running out on the clock, New Orleans kept it conservative, making sure at least that the Eagles did not get the ball back. The, with 3 seconds left to play, they went for the field goal to win it.
It split the uprights, and the Saints had their first ever road playoff win.
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