NFL 2023-2024 Wildcard Recap
The top seeded San Francisco 49ers (NFC) and Baltimore Ravens (AFC) have the week off.
AFC: (5)(Cleveland Browns) at (4)(Houston Texans) was the Saturday afternoon game. A shanked 32 yard punt gave the Texans a short field at the Cleveland 45. On 3rd and goal at the 2, CJ Stroud threw incomplete. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. On the first play after a touchback, Joe Flacco went bombs away to David Njoku for 45 yards. Flacco hit Njoku again for 8 and Amari Cooper for 14. On 3rd and goal at the one, Kareem Hunt got in to make it 7-3 Browns. After a touchback, Devin Singletary ran fr 29. Stroud went to Metchie for 27. Stroud went to Nico Collins for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Texans. After a touchback, Flacco immediately went to Bryant for a 47 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 20 to start the second quarter, Flacco gained 3 Flacco found Hunt for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Browns. On the very next play from scrimmage, Stroud went to Brevin Jordan for a 76 yard touchdown. 4 lead changes had the Texans up 17-14 and the making of a track meet. Yet for the rest of the game, only one team kept the pace.
The Texans got it back it back at their own 29 Metchie ran for 9. Singletary added 6. Stroud hit Collins for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 39, Stroud threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 12 yards. On 2nd and 20 from the Cleveland 37, Stroud went deep to Schultz for raw touchdown to put the Texans up 24-14 at the intermission. In the third quarter, Flacco found Nelson. Problem: Nelson plays defense for the Texans. Nelson returned the interception 82 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 31-14 Texans. Four plays later Flacco found Christian Harris. Problem: Harris also plays defense for the Texans. Harris returned the interception 36 yards for another defensive touchdown to make it 38-14 Texans. Late in the third quarter the Browns had 4th and 6 at the Houston 37. Flacco was sacked for a 13 yard loss. Singletary ran for a 19 yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter as 35 unanswered points turned a competitive game into a blowout. Rookie Stroud and rookie coach Demeco Ryans won their first ever playoff game together in convincing fashion. 45-14 Texans
AFC: (6)(Miami Dolphins) at (3)(Kansas City Chiefs) is the Saturday night game. For the first time ever, an NFL playoff game was not on free local television. So unless people subscribed to a particular streaming service, they were unable to watch one of the coldest games ever played. Temperature at game time was negative three degrees, with a wind chill of minus 22. The Chiefs started out red hot. On 3rd and 10 from their own 31, Patrick Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 11. Isaiah Pacheco ran for 4 and 10. Mahoems hit Kelce for 8. Pacheco ran for 23. Mahomes hit Rice for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. An interception of Tua Tagovailoa set up the Chiefs at their own 42. The second quarter began with the Chiefs facing 3rd and 6 from the Miami 10. Mahomes threw incomplete. Harrison Butker hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Chiefs.
This time the Dolphins struck back quickly. From their own 38, Tagovialoa went to Tyreek Hill for 9. Tagovailoa then went deep to Hill for a 53 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 10-7. The Chiefs defense then clamped down. Butker hit field goals of 32 and 26 in the second quarter and from 21 in the third quarter to make it 19-7 Chiefs. Late in the third quarter the Chiefs faced 2nd and 13 at their own 25 and looked to put in the dagger. Mahomes threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 yards. Mahomes hit Watson for 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 45, Mahomes went to James for 6. The second quarter began with the Chiefs facing 2nd and 16 at the Miami 45. Mahomes went to Rice for 28. On 3rd and 20 from the Miami 27, Mahomes threw incomplete but another roughing the passer call meant 13 yards and an automatic first down. Pacheco ran for a 3 yard touchdown to cap the 14 play, 72 yard, 7 minute drive and put this freezing game on ice. 26-7 Chiefs
NFC: (7)(Green Bay Packers) at (2)(Dallas Cowboys) is the Sunday afternoon game. The Cowboys were unbeaten at home this year and expected to easily dispatch with the Packers. After a touchback and defensive illegal contact, the Packers soon faced 2nd and 13 at their own 27. Jordan Love went to Romeo Doubs for 22. Aaron Jones ran for 3, 4, 13 and 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 6, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 2, Jones ran for the 3 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive and make it 7-0 Packers. The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 13. An interception of Dak Prescott gave the Packers gift field position at the Dallas 19. The Packers began the second quarter facing 2nd and goal at the 2. Jones appeared stopped cold but banged his way into the end zone for a 14-0 Packers lead. The Packers got the ball back at their own 7 yard line. On 3rd and 1, Love hit Kraft for 10. Love went deep to Doubs for 39, On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 29, Love hit Musgrave for 6. On 3rd and 7 from the Dallas 20, Love went to Dontayvion Wicks for the touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright no good but the Packers led 20-0 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. Desperate to make something happen, Prescott found Savage. Problem: Savagto make it 27-0 Packers in front of a shellshocked home crowd. Jerry Jones debated whether to fire Mike McCarthy before halftime and burn down Jerrah World Stadium for the insurance money.
The Cowboys again came straight down the field in the final 1:50 of the half. The Cowboys reached 1st and goal at the 2 with 6 seconds left in the half. Prescott threw a high corner fade incomplete, leaving 2 seconds. Mike McCarthy decided to go for it. Prescott found a wide open Jake Ferguson in the flat for an easy touchdown as the Cowboys trailed 27-7 at halftime. The Cowboys tried to build on their momentum. In the third quarter they moved from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 16. Prescott was tackled for no gain and then threw incomplete twice. Aubrey hit a 34 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 27-10. Yet after a touchback, the Packers kept coming. Jones ran for 8 and 4. Love went deep to Doubs for 46. Jones ran for 8 and then for the 9 yard touchdown t make it 34-10 Packers. The Cowboys took over at their own 12. Prescott hit Tony Pollard for 9 and went deep to Michael Gallup for 42. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 15, Pollard gained 2. Pollard ran for a one yard touchdown. McCarthy went for 2 and Prescott hit Ferguson in the flat. Yet illegal motion nullified the conversion. McCarthy at this point went with the extra point and Aubrey doinked it off the upright no good. The Cowboys were still down 34-16.
After a touchback, the Packers quickly turned out the lights. Jones ran for 10 and 27. Love went deep to a wide open Musgrave for a 38 yard touchdown to have the Packers up 41-16 after three quarters. On the last play of the third quarter on 4th and 5 from his own 41, Prescott threw incomplete. On 4th and 2 from the Dallas 3, Matt LaFleur went for it and Love fired over the middle to Doubs to make it 48-16 Packers. The Cowboys got a couple of garbage touchdowns but nothing more. Prescott’s fourth down Hail Mary went out the back of the end zone with 16 seconds left. The Packers tied a franchise record for most points in a playoff game. The Packers barely made the playoffs at 9-8 but made a statement in the Wildcard. The Cowboys won 12 regular season games for 3 straight years and failed tor each the NFC Title Game in all 3 years, an NFL first. McCarthy failed to get revenge on the team that fired him. McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn were torched by Love in the game and will be torched by Jerrah after the game. 48-32 Packers
NFC: (6)(Los Angeles Rams) at (3)(Detroit Lions) was the Sunday night game. The Lions were seeking to win their first playoff game since 1991. This was the first playoff matchup between Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford, who were traded for each other two years ago. Stafford won the Super Bowl for the Rams that Goff did not. The Lions had the better record, but the Rams were 7-1 down the stretch. The Lions were a much better team at home than on the road. After an opening touchback, David Montgomery ran for 10 and 5.Goff went to Reynolds for 24. Goff hit Amra St. Brown for 5, Sam LaPorta for 8 and Reynolds for 8. Montgomery ran for one and then again for the one yard touchdown as the 10 play,, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Lions. After a touchback, the Rams moved to a 1st and goal at the 6. Stafford threw 3 straight incompletions. Brett Maher hit the 24 yard field goal to get the Rams within 7-3. After a touchback, Goff went to Reynolds for 10 with roughing the passer adding 15 more. On 1st and 20 from the Rams 43, Goff went to Reynolds for 33. Gibbs took a handoff up the gut for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Lions.
The Rams in the second quarter faced 3rd and 16 at their own 22. Stafford went deep to Robinson for 19. On 3rd and 1 from midfield, Stafford went bombs away to rookie phenom Puka Nacua for the touchdown to get the Rams within 14-10. After a touchback, Montgomery ran for 11 and 5. Goff hit Williams for 13. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 41, Goff hit St. Brown for 14 and Gibbs for 16. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 2, it was time for a Dan Campbell gamble. Goff hit LaPorta for the touchdown to make it 21-10 Lions. After a touchback, Stafford went to Nacua for 21. On 4th and 5 from the Detroit 44 after an incompletion, Sean McVay decided to go for it. Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for 6. Stafford then went deep to Tutu Atwell for a 38 yard touchdown to get the Rams within 21-17 with 4 minutes left in the half. Each team had the ball 3 times and scored 3 times. With one minute left in the half, the Lions faced 4th and 5 at the Rams 41. Of course Dan Campbell was going for it. Yet then came a false start. On 4th and 10, finally there would be a punt. With the Rams pinned at their own 5, Sean McVay opted to run out the clock.
The first half was all offense. The second half was all defense. Mike Badgley hit a 54 yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 24-17 Lions. The Rams drove to the red zone twice but could not finish. Maher hit field goals of 27 in the third quarter and 29 midway through the fourth quarter to get the Rams within 24-23. The Rams got it back at their own 8 yard line and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Detroit 34. They were in field goal range to take the lead. Stafford threw incomplete. Yet there was offensive holding on the play. Normally you decline the penalty, make it 4th down, and force the kicker to pony up. Dan Campbell doesn’t do normal. He made it 3rd and 14 to push the Rams out of field goal range but give the another chance. This was high risk, high reward. Stafford threw incomplete. With 4 1/2 minutes left, Sean McVay decided to punt and trust his defense. Again, Campbell refuse to play it safe with runs up the middle. He wanted his quarterback to go win the game. Goff hit Montgomery for 11. The clock hit the 2 minute warning. One more first down would end it. Got fired to St. Brown for 11 and then took 3 knees. Campbell was vindicated. Goff was vindicated. After 9 straight playoff losses, the Lions have ended the longest NFL drought by winning their first playoff game in 32 years. 1991 is history. The 2023 Lions are on to the divisional round. That game will also be at home in Detroit. It was a bitter loss for the Rams, but a feel-good story for the long-suffering Lions fans who are suffering no more. 24-23 Lions
AFC: (7)(Pittsburgh Steelers) at (2)(Buffalo Bills) is the Monday afternoon game, postponed from Sunday morning due to a snowstorm. Early on the Bills faced 3rd and 1 at t heir own 29. Josh Allen appeared stopped but got the yard for the first down. Allen then went to Dalton Kincaid for 20. Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 12. Cook ran for 12 and 3. Allen hit Dawson Knox for a 9 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 80 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Bills. A Steelers fumble gave the Bills a short field at the Pittsburgh 29. One play and 5 seconds later Allen hit a wide open Kincaid over the middle for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Bills. The Steelers drove deep in the second quarter but Mason Rudolph was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. On 3rd and 5 form his own 25, Allen went to Diggs for 7. On 3rd and 7 from his own 48, Allen took off running, weaved through defenders, and finished with a spectacular 52 yard touchdown run to make it 21-0 Bills.
The Steelers finally caught a break just before the 2 minute warning. Tyler Bass came in for a 49 yard field goal try to extend the Bills lead to 24-0. Instead, the kick was blocked. The Steelers eventually took over all the way at the Buffalo 33. Rudolph hit Diontae Johnson for 10 yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 21-7. A field position game in the third quarter had the Steelers taking over at their own 40. They moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Buffalo 22. A run went nowhere and Rudolph threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 21-10. After a touchback, the Bills moved 48 yards in 14 plays and held the ball nearly 7 1/2 minutes. Bass hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 24-10 Bills after three quarters. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Rudolph went to George Pickens for 19. Pickens took an end around another 15. Jalen Warren gained 5 and Rudolph added 6. Rudolph hit Johnson for 11. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 17, Rudolph hit Johnson for 8. Rudolph went to Calvin Austin for a 7 yard touchdown as the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the Steelers within 24-17 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Bills took over at their own 30. Edwards gained 9. Allen added 13. Defensive unnecessary roughness. Allen went to Shakir, who was supposed to go down after a short gain but somehow kept his balance, spun around, and criss-crossed the field for a 17 yard touchdown to ice the game with 6 1/2 minutes left. The Steelers last desperate gasp came on 4th and 3 from their own 37 with 5 minutes left. Rudolph threw incomplete and screamed that an obvious pass interference call was not made. Pickens slammed his helmet down on the bench. Bass would shank a 27 yard field goal try by a country mile at the 2 minute warning, but it didn’t matter. The Steelers put up a fight, but the Bills will host another playoff game next week at home. They are in the divisional round for the fourth straight year. 31-17 Bills
NFC: (5)(Philadelphia Eagles) at (4)(Tampa Bay Buccaneers) was the Monday night game. This was the Attrition Bowl from two teams expected to do nothing in the playoffs. The Eagles started 10-1 but collapsed down the stretch, going 1-5 to staggering the playoffs at 11-6. The Buccaneers won their horrendous division with a hideous 9-0 win at bottom dweller Carolina to get to 9-8 on the year. Despite playing with several bruised ribs, Baker Mayfield after an opening touchback moved the Buccaneers to a 2nd and 3 at the Philadelphia 10. Mayfield threw incomplete twice. Chase McLaughlin hit a 28 yard field goal to cap the 12 play, 65 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 3-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got the ball back and faced 1st and 15 at their own 16. Mayfield went deep to Moore for 22 with 15 more tackled on for a defensive facemark. On 3rd and 7 from the Philadelphia 44, Mayfield went bombs away to Moore again, and he weaved his way through traffic for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back st their one 24 snd moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Philadelphia 32 to start the second quarter. Aa sack of Mayfield followed by him throwing incomplete ended the drive. Yet mcLaughlin nailed a 54 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Buccaneers.
After a touchback the Eagles moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Tampa Bay 30. Yet Jalen Hurts was taken down for no gain and then threw incomplete. Jake Elliott hit from 47 to get the Eagles on the board. After a touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Philadelphia 30. Mayfield threw incomplete. McLaughlin hit from 48 to make it 16-3 Buccaneers. The Eagles soon faced 2nd and 11 at their own 24. Hurts went to Julio Jones for 14. Hurts then went bombs away to Smith for a 55 yard gain. On the next play Hurts hit a wide open Dallas Goedert in the flat for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Eagles within 16-9 with 3 minutes left in the half. A defensive penalty put the ball on the one yard line instead of the 2 for a 2 point conversion try. Nick Sirianni went for 2 and Hurts did his famous tush push. This time he got stopped cold.
Neither offense did much, but late in the third quarter it was defense that made the difference. On 3rd and 6 from his own 14, Hurts was called for intentional grounding in his own end zone. The safety made it 18-9 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers took the free kick at their own 38 and struck rapidly. Mayfield connected with Palmer for a 56 yard touchdown to make it 25-9 Buccaneers. In the fourth quarter the Eagles moved from their own 27 to a 4th and 10 at the Tampa Bay 22. Elliot hit the 40 yard field goal, but the defense jumped offside. Nick Sirianni decided to take the points off the board and go for it on 4th and 5. Hurts threw incomplete. Mayfield hit Durham for 18. On 3rd and 4 from their own 41, Mayfield went Cade Otton for 5. Runs and short passes led to a 3rd and 7 at the Tampa 23. Mayfield went to Chris Godwin for the touchdown. The Eagles spectacular collapse was complete as the Buccaneers survived to playa road game in the divisional round. 32-9 Eagles
The top seeded San Francisco 49ers (NFC) and Baltimore Ravens (AFC) have the week off.
The Divisional Playoffs are set:
Saturday, January 20th:
AFC: (4) Houston Texans at (1) Baltimore Ravens at 4:30pm on ESPN
NFC: (7) Green Bay Packers at (1) San Francisco 49ers at 8pm on FOX
Sunday, January 21st:
NFC (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at (3) Detroit Lions at 2pm on NBC
AFC: (3) Kansas City Chiefs at (2) Buffalo Bills at 6:30pm on CBS
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