Wild Card Weekend Review-NFC Games

Seattle-10 Minnesota-9
NFC Wild Card Game

1) The cold weather really affected this game. It was the third coldest game in NFL Playoff history, and you can tell that it really affected both teams. It was a war of attrition for most of the game.

2)  The game turned when Russell Wilson turned a fumble into a big completion to Tyler Lockett down to the Minnesota 4-yard line. Seattle was down 9-0 early in the 4th quarter,  and this play by Wilson turned the game around. A few plays later, Wilson hit Doug Baldwin to make it 9-7.

3) Adrian Peterson's fumble two plays later gave Seattle the ball at the Minnesota 35. He was stripped and Kam Chancellor recovered in Minnesota territory. Seattle converted a field goal for a 10-9 lead with 8:04 left.

4) The teams each punted twice in the next 2 possessions, and Minnesota and Teddy Bridgewater put together a clutch drive aided by a pass interference by Kam Chancellor and then a misplay by Chancellor on a pass to Kyle Rudolph to give the Vikings the ball at the Seattle 18 with only 1:23 left. Three straight Peterson runs set up the Vikings for a chip shot 27 yard field goal and the win.

5) Blair Walsh, who was clutch for most of the game and hit three field goals earlier, somehow missed the kick and the Vikings lose a heartbreaker 10-9. My heart goes out to Walsh, the Vikings, and their fanbase. How many awful playoff games has Minnesota lost in the past 40 years? It was just an unbelievable ending to the game. You have to be sick to your stomach if you are a Vikings fan. Just an awful way to lose the game.

6) The Seahawks survive in a game that wasn't an all-time classic, but the combination of the weather, the outdoor game in Minnesota, and the early start, gave it a cool 1970s playoff vibe to it. All it needed was John Facenda narrating the highlights for NFL Films. Seattle somehow advances and now heads to Carolina to take on the Panthers next Sunday in the Divisional Round.

Green Bay-35 Washington-18
NFC Wild Card Game

1) You can't ask for a better start if you are a Redskins fan. A safety on a sack on Aaron Rodgers in the end zone, followed by a field goal, and then a few series later Kirk Cousins hits Jordan Reed on a 24-yard touchdown hookup to make it 11-0 after the missed extra point. It was still early in the second quarter, but it definitely had the feeling of a Redskins rout.

2) The Packers probably put together their most important drive of the year at that point. Rodgers drives them 80 yards and hits Randoll Cobb in the endzone for a 12-yard touchdown and a huge response to make it 11-7.

3) The next series Kirk Cousins fumbles after being sacked and the Packers recover, which leads to a field goal to make it 11-10. You could feel the momentum really turning at this point.

4) The Packers forced a punt, and they put together another touchdown drive of 60 yards with Rodgers hitting Davante Adams for a 10-yard TD, and all of a sudden Green Bay has taken a 17-11 lead heading into halftime. You had the feeling going into the half that the Redskins were in trouble.

5) The Redskins put together a really nice drive to start the half, and they took the lead on a Cousins 3 yard touchdown run on 3rd and Goal to give to the Skins an 18-17 lead. It was a great answer coming out of the half, and you thought this game might come down to whoever had the ball last.

6) The Packers didn't panic and once again they moved the ball and answered the Redskins score with another touchdown drive capped off by a James Starks 4 yard run to make it 24-18. The Packers converted a 4th and 1 on the drive with Eddie Lacy picking up 11 yards to keep the drive going.

7) The next two Redskins possessions ended in punts, and the Packers made them pay. A 76 yard drive by Green Bay led to a 2-yard TD run by Eddie Lacy to make it 32-18 with the two-point conversion. The Packers only faced one 3rd down on the drive, and that drive effectively put the game away for good.

8) Everyone was on the Redskins bandwagon all week long, and the only reason to like the Packers was the fact that they have Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers played really well, the Packers actually ran the ball well, and their offensive line protected Rodgers enough-especially from the 2nd quarter on. Rodgers is such a great player that he can win a game on his own, and he certainly played the part in this game. This was a game that we haven't seen from the Packers since October, and even their defense got into the act by completely smothering Kirk Cousins and the Redskins offense. It was a statement win by the Packers, and now they head to Arizona for a date with the Cardinals in the Divisional Playoffs next Saturday night.