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Tampa Bay 31, Philadelphia 15
This was the classic kind of game where the final score makes the game appear closer than it actually was.
In fact, the Bucs dominated in almost every way, and enjoyed a very comfortable 31-0 lead entering the final quarter. That was when the Eagles suddenly and finally showed some signs of life, especially on offense. Yes, Philly scored two touchdowns in that quarter, while also holding the Bucs to no points.
Not that it mattered. It just technically made the game look more respectable than it felt up to that point.
Tampa Bay held onto the ball for over 33 minutes and earned 349 yards and 23 first downs on offense. The Eagles earned 339 yards and 14 first downs, although a lot of those came during that final quarter. Philly also committed three turnovers, while the Buccaneers did not commit any, which helps tell the story of this game. For Tampa Bay, the 44-year old Tom Brady, often known these days as the GOAT, was brutally, mercilessly efficient. He completed 29 of 37 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Evans proved to be his favorite target, with nine receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown. Finally, Ke’Shawn Vaughn helped matters a bit with 53 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. It was a complete effort by the Bucs offense, and it was more than enough on this day. As for the Eagles, Jalen Hurts completed 23 of 43 passes for 258 yards, with one TD and two interceptions. Hurts also led his team on the ground with 39 yards picked up on eight carries. Dallas Goedert led all Eagles receivers with six catches for 92 yards.
For the most part, the Bucs jumped out ahead early and stayed there, never really giving the Eagles any serious breathing room until that final quarter, and those garbage time points to make the game look closer than it really was. Tampa scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to set the tone, and owned a 17-0 lead by halftime. They added yet two more touchdowns in the third, and had scored 31 unanswered points before that fourth quarter.
So now, the Bucs will advance to the divisional round, where they will face the Los Angeles Rams for the right to play in the NFC Championship.
As for the Eagles, they at least qualified for the postseason with a 9-8 record, so that is something. But they clearly do not rank among the elite teams in the NFC at the moment, despite reaching the playoffs.
My pick: Accurate
San Francisco 23, Dallas 17
My first thoughts on this game would have to be that the referees were simply far too visible, too presents, in this one. We heard way too much from them, and they seemed to nitpick far too much with both teams.
That said, the Cowboys played a very sloppy, undisciplined game. They had 14 penalties for 89 yards. Many of the penalties were, frankly, stupid and completely unnecessary. That, plus it seemed to take them a very long time as a team to really get into this game, by which time the 49ers already held a 13-0 lead. You cannot spot any playoff team a 13-point lead by late in the second quarter and necessarily expect to win, especially when you shoot yourself in the foot time and time again.
Meanwhile, the 49ers came in with a solid game plan, and played this game very, very efficiently. They built that lead, and even when the Cowboys finally answered with a touchdown in the second quarter, the Niners were able to notch a field goal, then hold Dallas off in the final minutes, to enjoy a 16-7 halftime lead.
San Francisco added a touchdown in the third quarter, while shutting Dallas out in that same quarter. So they enjoyed a very comfortable 23-7 lead entering that fourth quarter.
Yet, the Cowboys did finally show some serious signs of life in that final quarter. They scored 10 points and were moving the ball. Their defense stepped up, shutting San Francisco out and giving the offense the ball back. And they seemed to be getting into position to at least give themselves a chance for a last minute comeback win. The only thing is that they ran out of time, which was another product of their lack of discipline. They had not managed the clock or their timeouts in a great way, and it came back to bite them in the end.
Overall, the 49ers owned a decisive advantage in time of possession, holding the ball for just shy of 34 minutes. They earned 341 yards and 21 first downs, to just 307 yards and 20 first downs for the Cowboys. Both teams had one turnover each.
In the end, the 49ers played well enough to earn an impressive road win in the playoffs. They also won their first ever postseason meeting in Dallas, and now advance to the divisional round, where they will meet the Packers at Lambeau Field.
As for the Cowboys, they enjoyed an impressive season, winning the division with a 12-5 record and setting some franchise records on offense. They were the highest scoring team in the league this season. Yet, it proved not to be enough for them to actually win thisone, and they instead go home early. It felt like if the Cowboys were going to do it, this very well might have been the year. After this loss, you have to wonder if the window is closing, or perhaps if it outright closed. Time will tell.
My pick: Accurate
Kansas City 42, Pittsburgh 21
For a good portion of the first half, the Steelers were doing very well. Their offense was not exactly lighting up the scoreboard, true. Yet, their defense was playing well, and clearly frustrating the Chiefs explosive offense. When T.J. Watt picked up that fumble and ran it into the end zone to give the Steelers the early 7-0 lead, it looked possible that Pittsburgh was on their way to a rather shocking upset.
And then, KC came alive. It happened with less than six minutes left in the first half, but once they started to get in rhythm, they were unstoppable. First, Mahomes capped an eight play, 76 yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jerick McKinnon. A few minutes later, Mahomes again threw a touchdown pass, this time a 12-yarder to Byron Pringle, giving the hometown Chiefs their first lead of the game. Then, rather shockingly, the Chiefs added to that still more when Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a 48-yard touchdown strike. All of that in under six minutes of play, and KC enjoyed a comfortable 21-7 halftime lead.
It did not get much better for the Steelers in the third quarter. The Chiefs started with the ball, and got a 9-play, 68 yard drive that resulted in another touchdown pass by Patrick Mahomes, this one was a strike to Nick Allegretti from one yard out. Less than one minute after that, following a Steeler turnover, Mahomes found Tyreek Hill for a 31-yard touchdown pass. And just like that, in less than 12 minutes worth of play, Kansas City enjoyed a dominant 35-7 lead, which put the game out of reach.
After that, the Steelers did score some points, and KC also got one more touchdown, this one a touchdown pass from Travis Kelce to Byron Pringle. It was Kelce’s first ever touchdown pass.
By the end, the Chiefs earned yet another explosive blowout win in the playoffs, and looked sharper in this game than they had for much of the season.
KC and Pittsburgh split the time of possession evenly. But the Chiefs earned 478 yards and 26 first downs, compared to just 257 yards and 19 first downs for the Steelers. KC actually turned the ball over twice, to just one turnover for Pittsburgh. But that sure did not seem to seriously alter the outcome any, or make it any less inevitable.
Mahomes was simply hot in this one. He completed 30 of 39 passes for 404 yards and five touchdowns, although he also had one INT. Travis Kelce was his favorite target on this day. Kelce reeled in five catches for 108 yards and one touchdown. All of that, plus that touchdown pass by Kelce. Not a bad day’s work.
This win sends the Chiefs to the divisional round, where they will host the Buffalo Bills in a rematch of last year’s AFC title game.
As for the Steelers, this was obviously not the ending that they had envisioned, much less wanted. The offense looked mostly listless throughout the first half and well into the second half. But they did at least reach the postseason against all odds, since everything seemed stacked against them. So that was a measure of success. There will be a lot of questions and uncertainty for this team in the coming offseason, however.
My pick: Accurate
LA Rams 34, Arizona 11
There were a lot of reasons why you might have believed that the Cardinals were on their way to a win against the Rams in this game. They started off red hot his season,, and enjoyed a 10-2 record two-thirds of the way through, which was the best overall record in the league at the time. They enjoyed an 8-1 record on the road, which is the best in the league. And they had beaten the Rams in Los Angeles earlier this season. Plus, they have an explosive offense with a dangerous young quarterback.
None of the mattered in this game. In their first postseason game since the 2015-16 season, the Cardinals seemed flat, their offense looked stagnant, and their defense was just overwhelmed and ineffective. What you get when a team is that inept across the board is a blowout loss. And this was exactly that.
The Rams held onto the ball for almost 36 minutes, amassing 375 yards and 16 first downs, compared to just 183 yards and 14 first downs for Arizona. The Cardinals also committed two turnovers, while the Rams had none. And Kyler Murray was taken out of his rhythm early and often, getting sacked twice and feeling the pressure from the Rams defense all night.
Indeed, the Rams jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, and then jumped all over Arizona in the second quarter, building to a 21-0 halftime lead. They got another touchdown early in the third quarter before the Cards finally got something in the way of an answer, with their first touchdown.
By then, of course, it as a case of too little, too late.
The fourth quarter was all about field goals, with the Rams getting two to put some cushion between them and Arizona, while the Cardinals got a field goal just to try and get some points on the board and stay alive. But this simply was not going to be a night when they found a way to win.
With this win, the Rams advance to the divisional round of the playoffs, where they will meet Tom Brady and the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That will not be an easy game for them, as the Bucs will prove a much tougher test, surely, than the Cardinals. Also, that game will be played in the Florida sunshine.
As for the Cardinals, a season that had begin looking so promising as they raced off to a 7-0 start, and who were still 10-2 and had the best overall record in the league maybe a month and a half or so ago, watched their season largely fall apart. This had to have been a major disappointment for them, playing such a lousy game in their one and only playoff game following such a hugely promising start to the season. Still, you have to figure that this whole season amounted to some very valuable experience for them, something that they can build on for a future that still feels bright.
My pick: Accurate
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