Wild Card Weekend Review!

It might not have featured the sexiest matchups in Wild Card history, but the weekend provided some very good moments and pretty good games throughout. Two road teams won on Saturday and two home teams won on Sunday to set the stage for Divisional Weekend. The Titans won a playoff game for the first time since 2003, and the Jaguars won a playoff game for the first time since 2007. In the NFC, the Falcons advanced to the Divisional Round for the second straight year, and the Saints move on for the first time since 2013. All four teams that won were from the AFC or NFC South divisions. Here is my recap for Wild Card weekend....

AFC Wild Card Game
Titans-22 Chiefs-21

1) How the hell did Kansas City blow this game? They were up 21-3 at halftime, and had all the momentum. Tennessee couldn't do  anything right on offense. This might be the worst home defeat for the Chiefs in their storied history of playoff failures.

2) Travis Kelce getting knocked out with a concussion killed KC. He got knocked out on a pass play late in the second quarter. They struggled in the second half to move the ball without him. That was a turning point for sure.

3) The non-fumble call on Marcus Mariota was a huge sequence. After getting sacked by Derrick Johnson, Mariota fumbled on the way down to the ground, but Jeff Triplette ruled that forward progress was stopped and the play wasn't reviewable. The Titans settled for a field goal and it was 14-3 instead of KC ball and a 14-0 lead.

4) Marcus Mariota caught a deflected pass and dove in for a touchdown on 3rd and goal to make it 21-10 in the third quarter. That crazy play might have turned momentum and it was like the entire game changed from there. To make matters worse, the Chiefs missed a field goal trying to extend their lead to 24-10 late in the third. It left the door open for the Titans to complete the comeback and they did.

5) KC could do nothing on offense in the second half, and the Titans caught fire and couldn't be stopped. After imploding in the first half with turnovers and drops, Tennessee got it going. Derrick Henry's 35 yard TD run made it 21-16 (I had no problem with Mike Mularkey going for two there) and then Mariota threw a bullet to Eric Decker for a 22 yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to take the lead. It was about as stunning of a comeback as you will see in the playoffs-especially since how awful Tennessee looked in the first half. Incredible stuff by Mariota and that Titans offense.

6) As a Broncos fan, I enjoyed every moment of this latest playoff disappointment by the Chiefs. Another Andy Reid collapse and loss in the playoffs, and the Chiefs still have not won a home playoff game since 1993. This defeat might have been the worst-all things considered. They were huge favorites over a very weak Titans team, they had a 21-3 lead at halftime and were cruising, and then the bottom just fell out. This loss hurts deeply if you are a Chiefs fan. This could be an offseason of transition for the Chiefs and their franchise.

NFC Wild Card Game
Atlanta-26 Los Angeles Rams-13
1) The Rams talked about playoff inexperience not hurting, but they looked a little lost on Saturday night in the Los Angeles Coliseum.

2) The Falcons defense smothered the Rams and held them to 13 points when they averaged 30 points in the regular season. Give credit to Atlanta and their defense because they were all over the Rams and forced Jared Goff into some tough spots.

3) The fumbles by Pharaoh Cooper killed the Rams early with his fumbles on punt and kick returns, and he put them in a 13-0 hole. The Rams were all pumped up for their first playoff game in Los Angeles, and then all of a sudden they were down 13.

4) Matt Ryan's two biggest plays were the TD pass to Julio Jones to make it 26-13 in the 4th quarter, and his screen to Mohammed Sanu that turned into a 52 yard play to set up Julio's score.

5) The moment was too big for the young Rams and the Falcons looked like the team that had been there before and used that playoff experience to get the tough win on the road. It was a disappointing ending for the Rams, and the Falcons have the look of a very dangerous team as they move on to the Divisional Round.

AFC Wild Card Game
Jacksonville-10 Buffalo-3
1) A lot of people might not like this game, but I thought it was fun-even though there wasn't a lot of offense. I liked the back and forth and the defenses making plays.

2) The Jags tried to hide Blake Bortles but he was just bad in the passing game. His legs were the story of this game for him. He killed the Bills repeatedly on scrambles for first downs and his scrambling got the Jags a field goal late in the first half to tie the game at 3. He ran for 88 yards and threw for 87 yards.

3) If you are a Bills fan, you are going to be kicking yourself all offseason about the missed opportunity right before the half. After settling for a field goal attempt, the Jags went offside and the Bills got a 1st and goal from the three yard line. Kelvin Benjamin got called for an offensive pass interference call in the end zone on a fade route, and the Bills never recovered and had to settle for a 3--0 lead instead of a 7-0 lead.

4) The other moment that Bills fans will be bothered by during the offseason was when LeSean McCoy broke free for a long gain later in the 4th quarter, but a holding downfield brought a good chunk of it back, and the Bills couldn't continue to move the ball and had to settle for a punt. That McCoy run put the Bills at the Jags 30, but the holding screwed them.

5) After Tyrod Taylor got knocked out with a concussion on the final drive, Nate Peterman had to enter the game on a 4th and 3 and he somehow scrambled to convert it and keep the Bills hopes alive. What a rough spot for Peterman to be in. A few plays later, he got picked off by Jalen Ramsey and the game and the Bills season was over. It was a tough way to go out for the Bills, but their fans can take pride in making the playoffs for the first time since 1999, and the way the Bills got in during those last few moments of Week 17 will be remembered for long time.

6) Despite Blake Bortles inadequate play and the lack of a running game with Leonard Fournette, the Jags defense played well and answered the bell to help the Jaguars get the win. It was their first playoff win since 2007, and now they get a chance to go back to Pittsburgh and pull off the upset over the Steelers next week.

NFC Wild Card Game
New Orleans-31 Carolina-26
1) Give Drew Brees credit. He was sensational in this game and made some big time throws that decided the game. He finished 23-33 for 376 yards 2 TD and 1 INT. He made a huge 80 yard TD throw to Ted Ginn to give the Saints an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Then, he made a great throw on the run to Michael Thomas to set up Alvin Kamara's two yard TD run to give the Saints a 31-19 lead with 5:08 to go in the game.


2) The Panthers had to settle for field goals and that killed them. Graham Gano also missed a short field goal in the first half as well. When NO was scoring touchdowns and the Panthers were only getting field goals and the score was 14-3, 21-6, or 21-9, then you knew it was going to be tough for the Panthers to win this game.

3) Give them credit because right after Kamara's touchdown to give the Saints the 31-19 lead, Cam Newton hits Christian McCaffrey underneath and he breaks it for a 56 yard touchdown pass with 4:09 to go in the game. They fought back and got the game to within one possession late.

4) I was surprised that Sean Payton went for it on 4th and 2 near midfield late in the game. Why not just punt the Panthers down? He calls a rollout pass, Brees throws it up for grabs and the Panthers intercept it at their own 30. Mike Adams should have just knocked it down instead of picking it off, but regardless the Panthers were getting the ball. I thought it was curious decision making by Payton there.

5) The Saints closed out the game with their defense sacking Cam Newton with no timeouts left. The Panthers had moved the ball on some great plays by Newton, but he threw the ball away and was called for intentional grounding. It was questionable to see if he was out of the pocket, but there was no replay from FOX. Also, there might have been a receiver in the vicinity. In any event, the sack on Newton ended the game and allowed the Saints to move on to the next round. New Orleans swept all three games against the Panthers, and they head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings next Sunday.