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For some reason, the NFL scheduled the first three Wildcard games this weekend to be the AFC ones, and the last three to be the NFC.
Not sure why they did it this way. But I figured it made sense to break up my reviews by the different conferences, since it is conducive to that kind of a review.
Here is my review of the NFC Wildcard games played this weekend:
Philadelphia Eagles 22, Green Bay Packers 10 - This game went more or less the way that most people would have expected it to. Philly came out swinging, taking control early. They jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, and enjoyed a fairly comfortable 16-3 lead by halftime. The Pack made it interesting with a touchdown in the third quarter, making it competitive. Saquon Barkley proved that sitting out last weekend's game was a smart move, and he helped power the Eagles past Green Bay with 119 yards on 25 carries. Jalen Hurts had a decent day, completing 13 of 21 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Green Bay's Jordan Love had a solid season, but it ended on a sour note, as he completed 20 of 33 passes for 212 yards, with three INT's. Josh Jacobs helped Green Bay's cause with 81 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, but it ultimately was not enough. There was little to choose between the two teams in most stats, with Green Bay even holding a slight advantage in terms of overall yardage and first downs. The killer for them were the turnovers, as they produced four (Love's three INT's, as well as one lost fumble) compared to zero for the Eagles. With the win, the Eagles earned the right to advance, where they will host the winner of the Vikings-Rams game on Sunday. The Packers see their once very promising season end with disappointment, as they lose their final three games, including this one.
My pick: Accurate
Washington Commanders 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 - This one was a back and forth contest. At times, it seemed like Washington would surely win. At other times, it seemed like Tampa Bay was on their way to a win. Ultimately, however, it proved to be the Commanders, which gave this franchise their first postseason victory in just under 20 years, since the 2006 season. They did it by controlling the clock, hanging onto the ball for over 36 minutes. The Commanders produced 350 total yards and 22 first downs on offense, compared to 284 yards and 19 first downs for the Buccaneers. Tampa also had one costly turnover late in the game, giving the Commanders a chance to score a touchdown and take the lead in the fourth quarter after having been stuffed on a goal line stand just minutes earlier. Head Coach Daniel Quinn also made sure that the Commanders gambled quite a bit on fourth down, in an attempt to keep the normally ball control offense of the Bucs off the field. They were quite successful, converting. three of five fourth down conversions, which was pretty gutsy. All of it helped Washington to squeak past Tampa Bay, although it took a doink field goal conversion on the game's final play for them to finally ice the win. Now, they will visit the Motor City to take on the top seed, the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, the Bucs head home early, although they can take some solace at having enjoyed another largely successful season, earning a fourth straight NFC South division title.
My pick: Accurate
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