Well, the first day of Wildcard Weekend proved exciting and fairly unpredictable.
I expected the Colts to win, since they have been very hot. But to completely blow out the Texans, to shut them out through the first half, and to put on such a clinic in the first half on offense that they apparently could afford to be shut out themselves in the second half and still win in lopsided fashion? That was a surprise.
And the Cowboys-Seahawks game played out differently than expected. It was close, which was not completely unexpected. However, I thought that the Seahawks would be a bit tougher, and instead, the 'Boys did just enough to get through, earning head coach Jason Garrett's second even postseason win.
So, let's take a close look at the two playoff games from yesterday:
Saturday Games
AFC
Indianapolis Colts
v.
Houston Texans (11-5)
Indianapolis 21, Houston 7
The Texans had home field advantage, but it almost seemed like a disadvantage against the Colts this season. In the end, the Texans were an impressive 6-1 at home against every other team that they played other than the Colts, but were 0-2 at home when hosting Indy.
A large part of the reason for that was Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who looked like he did a few years ago, playing at a level that he was worried he would never play at again, as the Colts built up such a solid 21-0 lead in the first half, that Houston never really did get back into this thing again. On the day, Luck completed 19 of 32 passes for 222 yards, with two touchdowns and one INT. His favorite target was receiver T.Y. Hilton, who grabbed five receptions for 85 yards. Marion Mack also had a big day, picking up 148 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. The Colts grabbed a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter, and simply never let the flustered Texans back into it.
Houston looked bad and completely ineffective on offense throughout that first half. Quarterback Deshaun Watson redeemed himself a bit in the second half, and he completed 29 of 49 passes altogether on the day, good for 235 yards and one touchdown, although he also threw one pick. Watson also led his team in rushing, with 76 yards on eight carries. Wide receiver Keke Coutee had a great day statistically, grabbing 11 receptions that picked up 110 yards and Houston's only touchdown for the day, although that was clearly not enough.
The Colts now prepare for their road game to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, to face the number one seed. The Chiefs only lost one home game all season, but they are peaking at the right time. Also, they are 4-0 historically all-time against the Chiefs in postseason play.
My pick: Accurate
NFC
Seattle Seahawks (10-6)
v.
Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
Dallas 24, Seattle 22
Admittedly, I predicted that the Seahawks would find a way to win this. But give credit in particular to the Dallas D, as they came up big, pretty much shutting down the Seattle running game. And Dallas also managed to convincingly win the time of possession battle.
Dallas QB Dak Prescott completed 22 of 33 passes for 226 yards, with one touchdown and one INT. His favorite target was receiver Amari Cooper, who got 106 yards on his seven receptions. Running back Ezekiel Elliott punished the Seahawks defense, picking up 137 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries.
In a losing cause for Seattle, quarterback Russell Wilson completed 18 of 27 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown. Tyler Lockett led Seattle receivers with 120 yards picked up on four catches. But Seattle's running game was shut down by Dallas, as Rashaad Penny only picked up 29 yards on four carries.
I admitted that this was a tough game to call. Ultimately, the Cowboys had just enough in their tank to get past the Seahawks with a two-point win.
Now, they move on to face either the Rams or the Saints, depending on who emerges from the game between Philadelphia and Chicago later today.
My pick: Inaccurate
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