NFL 2024-2025 Wildcard Recap
The 18 weeks of the NFL 2024 regular season are in the history books.
The Wildcard playoffs are set:
AFC (5) Chargers at (4) Texans was the Saturday afternoon game. Thankfully for the 11-6 Chargers, their playoff game was on the road. The Los Angeles wildfires have been devastating, and some of the players played with heavy hearts. Yet if anyone will keep a team focused on football, it’s Jim Harbaugh. They took on the 10-7 Texans. The Chargers after a touchback moved easily to a 3rd and 1 at the Houston 14. JK Dobbins got the carry and got buried by the Houston defense for a 2 yard loss. Cameron Dicker hit the 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, a short pass turned disastrous when the receiver fumbled. Derwin James just ripped it out of the receiver’s hands as the Chargers took over again at the Houston 33. A sack of herbert followed by a dropped pass near the first down marker killed the drive. Dicker hit again from 39 to make it 6-0 Chargers. The defenses then dug in as the quarterbacks traded second quarter interceptions.
A great punt late in the half pinned the Texans at their own one yard line. After barely avoiding an intentional grounding call for a safety, one play just before the 2 minute warning shifted momentum. On 3rd and 3 from their own 8, CJ Stroud hit Nico Collins for 5. Then on 3rd and 16 from their own 17, all chaos broke out. Out of the shotgun, a wild snap went way passed Stroud. He picked it up, scrambled all the way to his right, and turned a busted play into a 34 yard completion to Hutchinson. Stroud then went deep to Collins for 37. On 3rd and 11 from the Chargers 13, Stroud went to Collins for the touchdown. Despite being dominated for the first 28 minutes, the Texans led 7-6 with one minute left in the half. The Chargers went 3 and out and took only 20 seconds off the clock. The Texans got it back at their own 32 with 27 seconds left. Stroud ripped off a 27 yard run. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 41 yard field goal to have the Texans up 10-6 lead at the half.
The third quarter began with Stroud connecting with Collins for a 41 yard gain. Yet on the next pay from the Chargers 24, a trick play by DeMeco Ryans backfired. Joe Mixon took a lateral, set up for the halfback option pass, decided to keep the ball, and fumbled. The Chargers took over at their own 26 and moved to a 4th and 2 at the Houston 34. Jim Harbaugh passed up a 52 yard field goal try and went for it. Herbert hit Johnston near the sticks but perfect defense by Stingley caused the ball to hit the ground during the catch for an incompletion and a turnover on downs. The Texans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 19. offensive penalties on 3 straight plays had the Texans facing a crazy 2nd and 40. A defensive offside and a pair of completions got the Texans to a much more manageable 4th and 10. Fairbairn hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 13-6 Texans with 5 minutes left in the third quarter.
Very late in the third quarter the Chargers took over at their own 28. On the first play from scrimmage, Herbert found Murray in the flat. Problem: Murray plays defense for the Texans. Murray coasted 38 yards for a defensive touchdown to have the Texans up 20-6 after three quarters. After a touchback the Chargers began the fourth quarter by quickly moving to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 39. Herbert had his next pass bounce right out of Will Dissly’s hands and into the arms of Stingley. Problem: Stingley plays defense for the Texans. He had a convoy of blockers but was caught from behind after returning the interception 54 yards to the Chargers 13 yard line. A sack of Stroud killed the drive but Fairbairn’s 30 yard field goal had the Texans up 23-6 with 12 minutes left in regulation.
Consecutive sacks of Herbert had the Chargers facing 3rd and 26 from their own 14. with the Chargers pretty much dead, Herbert fired over the middle to Ladd McConkey, who was a few yards short of the sticks. Then McConkey broke a tackle and outraced everyone for a stunning 86 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Chargers were back in it. Yet seconds later, their momentum was gone in a big way. The extra point was blocked by Autry. Kicker Dicker could have caught the extra point and gotten tackled or just gone down. Yet perhaps because he did not know the rule, he just batted the ball to the ground thinking it would end the play like an incomplete pass. It was still a live ball, and Deangelo Ross picked up the ball and returned it all the way for a 2 point play for the defense. Dicker’s gaffe was hardly on the level of Garo Yepremian in the Super Bowl, but it was a blunder. Instead of being within 23-13, the Chargers trailed 25-12 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Texans just ground the Chargers into dust. On 4th and 1 from the Chargers 17, Mixon took the carry off left tackle, broke through a tackle and made it to the pylon for the dagger touchdown. The 14 play, 74 yard, 7 minute drive iced the game with 3:42 to play. Herbert was then intercepted by Stingley again. The Chargers had 9 turnovers the entire regular season, the fewest in franchise history. They had 5 on this day including 4 interceptions of Herbert. Herbert only had 3 interceptions in the entire regular season. 32-12 Texans
AFC (6) Steelers at (3) Ravens was the Saturday night game. These fierce rivals split the season series. The 10-7 Steelers entered having lost four straight. They lost to the 12-5 Ravens a few weeks ago to lose control of the division. Lamar Jackson was a legitimate league MVP candidate. The crowd at the Big Crabcake in Baltimore was pumped up before the game with retired Ravens Hall of Fame Ray Lewis doing his sUgar dance. Early on the Ravens fumbled a punt dangerously close to their own goal line but retained possession at their 5 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from their own 13, Jackson ran for 4, one, 8, on 3rd and 1 from his own 26 another 5, and finally 4. Jackson carried the ball 5 straight times. Yes, he is the quarterback and not the running back. Yet of his over 5,000 total yards from scrimmage during the season, nearly 20% of it came on the ground. The actual running back is Derrick Henry, and he ripped off punishing runs of 12 and 34. On 3rd and 13 from the Pittsburgh 15, Jackson fired over the middle to Rashad Bateman for the touchdown. The 13 play, 95 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Ravens.
On the first play after a touchback Mike Tomlin tried a flea flicker. Yet with nobody to throw to, Russell Wilson got taken down hard for a 3 yard loss. The defenses dug in as the game went to the second quarter. The Ravens then took over at their own 15 and pounded the Steelers defense into submission with 13 straight runs and 0 passes. On 3rd and 1 from their own 24, receiver Mark Andrews ran for 3. On 3rd and 1 from their own 35, Henry gained 3. On 2nd and 13 from their own 36, Jackson ran for 20. Henry did the rest, running for 3, 17, and the 8 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 85 yard, 8 minute drive made it 14-0 Ravens. The lone bright spot for the Steelers was a 50 yard deep bomb, but it was wiped away by offensive pass interference.
The Ravens got it back at their own 10 with 1:53 left in the half. On 3rd and 2, after 15 straight runs, Jackson found Bateman for 9. Jackson the went deep to Nelson Agholor for 25. Jackson went to Andrews for 20 and to Isaiah Likely for 19. Jackson spiked the ball to stop the clock and set up 2nd and goal at the 5 with 11 seconds left in the half. Jackson avoided a sack and scrambled around without a timeout. At the last moment Jackson fired to Justice Hill for the touchdown with 2 seconds left. The Ravens led 21-0 at the half of a game that even more lopsided statistically than on the scoreboard. The Ravens had over 300 yards of offense in the first half, with 160 yards on the ground.
I the third quarter John Harbaugh decided not to gamble on 4th and 2 just past midfield. A great punt had the Steelers pinned at their own 2 yard line. On 3rd and 9, Russell Wilson avoided a sack and a safety and completed a 25 yard pass to Austin. Austin got blasted but somehow hung on to the ball. On 3rd and 5 from their own 33, Wilson went deep again to Williams for 37 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Baltimore 30, Wilson went deep again to Van Jefferson for the touchdown. The 98 yard drive had the Steelers within 21-7 midway through the third quarter. After a touchback, Jackson was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Yet as quickly as the Steelers gained momentum, the Ravens took it back. On 2nd and 21 from his own 19, Jackson quickly went to Wallace for 21. Sims then ran for 15. Henry broke free for a 44 yard touchdown to have the Ravens up 28-7 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. by this point the Ravens already had 242 yards rushing, with 159 by Henry alone.
After a touchback, Wilson went to Najee Harris for 9 and again for 21. Wilson went deep to George Pickens, who got hit by 2 defenders, one on each side. Yet somehow they both bounced off of him simultaneously as he glided to the end zone for a 36 yard touchdown. The Steelers still had life down by 14 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. After being dormant in the first half, the Steelers offense scored on both of their first two third quarter possessions. The Steelers got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 3rd and 8 from their own 44. Wilson got taken down hard for an 8 yard sack as the third quarter ended. As the fourth quarter began, the Ravens had a chance to grind down clock and ice the game.
From their own 17, the Ravens didn’t put the game away, but they did take 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. The Steelers took over at their own 25 with 8 1/2 minutes left in the game. The Steelers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 38, but Wilson was sacked for a 12 yard loss. Mike Tomlin pretty much had to go for it on 4th and 15 from the Baltimore 43 with 6 minutes left. Wilson went bombs away to the end zone into triple coverage. The ball should have been intercepted, but the Ravens were better off with the defender dropping it for an incompletion. The Ravens were a few first downs from closing out the game. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 48, Jackson gained 5. Defensive holding meant another automatic first down. On 2nd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 26, Hill gained 3 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 14, for the third time in the game it was Andrews taking the snap and powering ahead for two yards.
Jackson then took a knee as the fourth quarter was scoreless. Jackson only threw 21 passes, completing 16 of them for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Yet the Ravens ran the ball 50 times, piling up 299 yards on the ground. They could have gotten the 300th rushing yard but John Harbaugh did the right thing having Jackson take a knee. Henry led all rushers with 186 yards on 26 carries. The Ravens held the ball for nearly 40 minutes to only 20 minutes for the Steelers. The Steelers were held to only 29 yards rushing. This was old-school smash mouth football, but with the home team doing the smashing and the road team getting smashed. 28-14 Ravens
AFC (7) Broncos at (2) Bills was the Sunday morning game. The 10-7 Broncos finally clinched their seven seed Wildcard on the final week of the regular season. They throttled Kansas City, who was playing their backups. The Bills coasted to a 13-4 record and the two seed, clinching the AFC East for the 4th straight year. Josh Allen is a legitimate MVP candidate. The Bills were heavily favored at home to steamroll the Broncos. The Bills were a perfect 8-0 at home in the regular season. The Broncos quickly began facing 3rd and 8 from their own 32. Bo nix went over the middle to Cortland Sutton for 19. Nix then went bombs away to Franklin, who beat the coverage and caught the perfectly thrown ball for a 43 yard touchdown. Less than 2 1/2 minutes into the game, the Broncos led 7-0. The remaining 57 1/2 minutes were tougher.
The Bills took over at their own 33 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Denver 8. Allen threw incomplete twice. Tyler Bass hit the 26 yard field goal as the Bills trailed 7-3. The Bills took over at their own 19. Allen went to Kincaid for 7. Johnson ran for 11 and James Cook added 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Denver 40, Allen gained 7. On 3rd and 5 from the DeNVER 28, Allen hit Samuel for 7 as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 3 at the Denver 14. Allen gained 9. Cook ran for the 5 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 81 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Bills up 10-7.
After a touchback the Broncos soon faced 4th and 8 at their own 43. Sean Payton called a fake punt and punter Dixon hit Marvin Mims for 15. Yet on 2nd and 4 from the Buffalo 36, a completion from Nix to Mims lost 3 yards. Nix then threw incomplete. Sean Payton decided against going for it or trying a 57 yard field goal. He chose to punt and play field position. This time Dixon did punt, and he pinned the Bills at their own one yard line. They held the ball for 6 1/2 minutes but couldn’t get past their own 40, punting at the 2 minute warning. Return man Mims got belted on a perfectly timed hit, with a personal foul on the receiving team pinning the Broncos at their own 8 yard line. The Broncos quickly moved to the Buffalo 32 with 5 seconds left. Wil Lutz’s 50 yard field goal try to tie the game doinked off the right upright no good.
The Bills in the third quarter moved from their own 35 to a 2nd and goal at the 6. Cook got stopped for no good and Allen was then sacked. Officials missed a blatant defensive holding penalty in the end zone. Bass hit the 27 yard field goal to have the Bills up 13-7. The Bills got it back at their own 27. Allen went to Shakir for 13. On 2nd and 13 from their own 38, Allen threw incomplete but a defensive personal foul for a hit to the head meant 15 yards. Allen went to Dawson Knox for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 24, a field goal would make it a 2 score game. Sean McDermott gambled. Allen with all kinds of time fired to the end zone. Ty Johnson made a sliding acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone. Johnson caught the ball just above the ground and just before he slid out of bounds. Allen went to Coleman for the 2 point conversion to have the Bills up 21-7 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Bills were dominating statistically in yards and first downs, as well as holding the ball for 30 of the first 42 minutes. Now that imbalance was finally reflecting on the scoreboard. The Bills began the fourth quarter with a 23 yard punt return to start them at their own 41. On 3rd and 6, Allen went bombs away to Samuel, who weaved through traffic for a 55 yard touchdown dagger. The game was now a blowout with the Bills leading 28-7. The Broncos moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 2 at the Buffalo 14. Rather than throw past the first down marker, a swing pass in the flat gained only one yard as the Broncos turned it over on downs. Bass tacked on a 34 yard field goal with 4 1/2 minutes remaining to pad the lead. After the Broncos failed to convert 4th and 17, the Bills took over at the Denver 23. Allen was done for the day as Mitchell Trubisky played mop up. The Broncos are a good team who could be a great team next year. The Bills are a great team now. 31-7 Bills
NFC (7) Packers at (2) Eagles is the Sunday afternoon game.
NFC (6) Commanders at (3) Buccaneers is the Sunday night game.
NFC (5) Vikings at (4) Rams is the Monday night game.
The top seeds have the bye week.
AFC (1) Kansas City Chiefs
NFC (1) Detroit Lions