Wild Card Weekend Recap!

Three out of the four road teams advanced on Wild Card weekend. All four underdogs covered or won, and it sets up a very interesting Divisional Round next weekend. Before we look ahead later in the week, here is a look back at the reactions to the Wild Card games last weekend.

AFC Wild Card Game
Indianapolis-21 Houston-7
1) This game was over early. Indy went down and scored a TD on their first possession to make it 7-0. Houston went three and out, and Indy went down and scored another TD on their second possession and it was 14-0. Houston went for a 4th down at midfield on the next possession and didn't get it. A few possessions later, Indy scored and made it 21-0 at the half. The game was over by then. There was no chance at a comeback for the Texans.

2) Bill O'Brien got criticized for a few key decisions in the first half and he deserves the blame. He went for it on 4th down in the first quarter near midfield down 14-0 and DeShaun Watson got picked off. The Texans intercepted Andrew Luck on the ensuing drive, but I didn't like the call by O'Brien. He also went for it on 4th down late in the second quarter, instead of kicking a field goal. The Texans didn't get it again, and they were still down 21-0 at the half. I would have taken the three points there and at least got something going into halftime.

3) The Colts are simply the better team and deserve to win. Give their team credit. They were 1-5 and now they have won their first playoff game since 2014 and are headed to the Divisional Round. Give Frank Reich credit for the job he has done as a first-year head coach, but the key to the Colts is that Andrew Luck is finally healthy. He was hurt for half of 2015, most of 2016, and all of 2017. He is finally healthy and he is the reason why the Colts are playing so well now.

NFC Wild Card Game
Dallas-24 Seattle-22

1) The Cowboys deserve the credit for the win, but you can criticize Pete Carroll for not putting the game in Russell Wilson's hands. The play calling was very suspect for the Seahawks.

2) Jason Garrett big gaffe came in the first half when he decided to go for a 58 yard field goal with 3:17 left to play in the half. The Cowboys missed it, the Seahawks had good field position, and converted it into a field to make it 6-3 with 1:43 to go.

3) The Cowboys answered that scored with a touchdown drive of their own to take a 10-6 lead going into halftime. That was huge, and they went 75 yards in 1:19 to take the the lead.

4) The Seahawks took the lead at 14-10 after a Wilson touchdown run and two-point conversion (Sebastian Janokowski got hurt in the second quarter),  with 1:59 left it the third quarter, but the Cowboys answered it with another TD drive of their own. Ezikiel Elliot's 1 yard run put the Cowboys back up 17-14 with 12:28 left in the game.

5) The key sequence was after Dak Prescott got intercepted in the endzone on a batted ball and it gave Seattle hope with 9:43 to play down three. Seattle went three and out though, punted the ball back to Dallas, and the Cowboys went down and scored another TD to make it 24-14. I thought the Cowboys were in trouble when Prescott got intercepted, but they survived that sequence.

6) The Seahawks got a late touchdown and two-point conversion to give the gambling community a wild back door cover, but their onside kick failed, and the Cowboys have their first playoff win since 2014.

AFC Wild Card Game
LA Chargers-23 Baltimore-17

1) This game was all Chargers for 90% of the game, They dominated Lamar Jackson and that Ravens offense. Here were the Ravens first half possessions: Punt, fumble, punt, punt, interception, punt. By halftime, they were down 12-0 and if the Chargers didn't settle for field goals, then who knows how bad this game would have been. Many people were already calling for Jackson to get pulled in favor of Joe Flacco.

2) The Ravens were down 12-3 in the third quarter, and Justin Tucker missed a 50 yard field goal. You know it is not the Ravens day when Tucker misses a kick. The Chargers came down and scored a TD to make it 20-3.

3) The Ravens and Jackson made a furious comeback late. They scored two touchdowns and forced two Chargers punts to cut the game to 23-17. The game would have been over if it wasn't for a hold on Russell Okung that negated a first down run by Melvin Gordon. The Ravens got the ball back with 45 seconds left at their own 34, but Jackson got sacked and fumbled and the Chargers recovered to put the game away.

4) The Chargers won their first playoff game since 2013, and the Ravens head into the offseason wondering for sure if Lamar Jackson is the future at QB for their franchise.

NFC Wild Card Game
Philadelphia-16 Chicago-15

1) This was the best game of the weekend, and it featured Nick Foles doing his magic once again. You have to start to wonder if this whole Foles-Eagles thing is not a fluke. Perhaps Carson Wentz is not the answer in Philly? Foles was big down the stretch and his TD throw on 4th and goal to Golden Tate to give the Eagles the lead late in the 4th quarter was a great play. You just had a feeling he was going to drive them down for the winning score late in the game.

2) The Bears are going to be kicking themselves over losing this one. I felt they should have won the game and advanced. You never know when you will get these chances, and the Bears are a young team with a bright future, but you just never know. This one stings badly and it will really be a long offseason for the Bears and their fans.

3) I thought Matt Nagy should have called his timeouts earlier on the Eagles final drive. He waited too long once they get inside the Bears 10. He needed to get the ball back with more time than they did. I also hated his two point conversion play when the Bears scored in the 4th quarter to make it 15-10.

4) Give Mitch Trubisky credit. He made the throws to get his team in position to win the game and it came down to Coby Parkey to hit a 43 yarder to win and he missed it. The fact that it hit the upright and the crossbar and went out was just a brutal way to end the game. Parkey has to make that kick.

5) The Eagles were dead in the water at 6-7 and Wentz getting hurt. Now, they are advancing to the Divisional Round where they will take on the Saints next weekend. The Bears beat the Vikings on purpose and it ensured the Eagles that they would be playing the Bears, and it came back to bite the Bears and eliminate them. They were better off losing to the Vikings and then playing the Vikings again this past weekend and probably advancing. You really can't make this stuff up.