Well...some good games from the weekend but a far, far cry from the excitement that the wild card games gave us. Overall though, the divisional round gave us a few chances to catch up on some Z's without missing a ton of action. If you were one of those people, we'll help you get caught up on anything you missed!
Chiefs 27- Jaguars 20
Biggest story from this game was the Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury. Defensive end Arden Key rolled over the star quarterbacks ankle while going for a sack, leaving #15 moving with a visible limp. He finished out the drive but missed the rest of the first half, opening the door for a nice touchdown drive from veteran backup Chad Henne.
Mahomes came out in the second half and did just enough to keep Jacksonville at bay, leading two scoring drives that each put the Chiefs up by ten. He was labored but moved efficiently through the pocket, somehow not getting sacked once. Isiah Pacheco was a force on the ground, averaging just under eight yards a carry. Travis Kelce is a freak too... he posted an insane line of 14/98/2. Unguardable.
Kansas City's defense did the rest from there, harassing Trevor Lawrence in the pocket and playing great coverage on their many weapons. He slightly overthrew Christian Kirk on a deep bomb that could've substantially impacted this game, but the receiver's leap fell short, as did the Jaguars in this one. Hated seeing Travis Etienne's effectiveness fade in as the game went along too. Game script didn't do him any favors, but he had a great season.
All in all, this game was a bit of a let down from the shootout many were hoping for. Just a methodical victory that never felt in danger by a slightly superior team with the best quarterback in football. Here's to hoping Patty's near 100% for whoever, and wherever, they get to play next week.
Eagles 38- Giants 7
Well that was a fun week of hyping up Daniel Jones. Turns out Minnesota's defense actually is as bad as they played.
The Eagles absolutely dismantled their divisional rivals in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates. Kenneth Gainwell and Miles Sanders combined for over 200 yards on the ground, while Jalen Hurts added 34 of his own, on top of his 154 passing and three total touchdowns. It felt like they barely showed their hand offensively, yet ran the G-Men out of the city.
Their ferocious defense was a huge key with that. The Giants were completely befuddled in the run and passing game. Saquon Barkley ran well but was quickly phased out of the game script. Jones took over from there, unsuccessfully trying to lead the team through the air. He finished the day 15/27 for 135 and a pick, a far cry from his stellar showing against the Vikings. Bad taste to leave in the mouths of the New York brass as he goes into a contract negotiation.
Bengals 27- Bills 10
What's a weekend of playoff football without some snow? That's exactly what Buffalo gave us for a wet, snowy showdown in Orchard Park.
The weather really only seemed to effect the home team however. Josh Allen had a couple of overthrows as their one sided offense failed to sustain much of anything all afternoon. Stefon Diggs was a non-factor, the run game was nonexistent and the defense couldn't get off the field, allowing Cincy to go 6-10 on third down. Even against a patchwork offensive line, Buffalo couldn't stop the run or rush the passer. It was a cumulative failure by the #2 seed in the AFC.
Props to Zac Taylor on the game plan they put into place for this game. Quick passes, a true commitment to the run game and some good, disciplined defense. Joe Burrow was delightfully above average, finding Hayden Hurst and Jamarr Chase anytime the offense needed a few yards. Joe Mixon was an absolute force on the ground, battering the depleted Bills' front seven all afternoon, en route to his first hundred yard game since November 6th. The defense relentlessly got after Allen all day too.
What a showing by the Bengals, who now get to travel to Arrowhead and face a beat up Patrick Mahomes. The stars, once again, seem to be aligning for Cincinnati.
49ers 19- Cowboys 12
Just like last week, Dallas gave us a snoozer to wrap things up for the weekend. Even though neither team took a double digit lead at any point, it always felt like we were just waiting for the 49ers to get it over with.
Brock Purdy seemed to show a few more weaknesses, albeit against an aggressive and talented defense. Christian McCaffery started really slow but took over late, cashing an anytime TD bet for me in the process. George Kittle made a spectacular catch before halftime too, providing a spark while giving San Fran the lead at the break.
There's the Dak we missed last week! The Cowboys' quarterback threw two bad interceptions, including one right at the end of the second quarter that gifted the Niners the lead. More fuel for my take that he's nothing more than an average QB under a massive microscope. What a bad showing.
Ceedee Lamb was his go-to guy Sunday night, snagging ten balls for 117 yards to cap off a magnificent season. Dude's a true WR1. But that was it, no other pass catcher finished with more than 27 yards. Tony Pollard also suffered an unfortunate ankle injury going into a big offseason...hopefully it's a minor thing and has no impact on him securing a bag that he's thoroughly earned. Back to the drawing board Jerry.
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@Choppinglines
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